AbstractWe studied levels of soluble interleukin‐2 receptors (IL‐2R) in serial serum samples obtained from 93 patients with Kawasaki syndrome, using a double‐antibody “sandwich” enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay technique. Concentrations of soluble IL‐2R were significantly increased in Kawasaki syndrome patients in the first 4 weeks of illness when compared with either healthy adult or pediatric controls (P<0.02), and in the first 2 weeks of illness when compared with a group of children with measles (P<0.0001). Furthermore, in the second week of illness, levels of soluble IL‐2R were significantly greater in children who subsequently developed coronary artery aneurysms than in patients with normal appearing coronary arteries. Serum concentration of soluble IL‐2R is a useful marker for detecting early Kawasaki syndrome and identifies those patients who are at greater risk of developing coronary
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