Characteristic Profile of Intestinal Microflora in Kawasaki Disease

Background: Although the etiology of Kawasaki disease (KD) is still unknown, some investigators suggest that gastrointestinal tract could be one of the primary sites of entry of causative antigens in KD patients. Objective: The aim of the present study is to investigate the possible role of intestinal microflora in the pathogenesis of KD. Patients & Methods: We studied the distribution pattern of common microbial species in feces from 20 patients with KD, 20 patients with acute febrile diseases (disease control) and 20 healthy children. Results: KD patients had significantly lower (P<0.001) incidence of Lactobacillus species (2/20, 10%) than disease control patients (16/20, 80%) and healthy children (14/20, 70%). On the other hand, KD patients had no significant incidences of other microbial species ( Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Enterobacteriaceae, Bifidobacterium, Eubacterium, Peptostreptococcus, Clostridium, Veillonella and Bacteroides ), compared with both groups of disease control and healthy children. Conclusion: The many of acute KD patients lack or lose Lactobacillus species which is a non-pathogenic and beneficial micro-organism for humans. The changed ecology of the enteric microflora may be involved in the pathogenesis of KD.