New clues in solving mystery of Kawasaki disease
John Travolta's 16-year-old son Jett is said to have suffered from the inflammatory disorder
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Friday, 09, Jan 2009 02:01
Researchers claimed to have identified new genes which appear to make some children more susceptible to Kawasaki disease than others.
The poorly understood condition is said to be fatal in approximately one in 1,000 children and actor John Travolta's 16-year-old son Jett, who was found dead last week, is said to have suffered from the inflammatory disorder.
His parents claim their son was diagnosed with the condition six years ago and blamed it for his development disabilities.
In a report published in the journal PLoS Genetics today, health experts claim a study into the entire human genome has unveiled new genes linked to the potentially fatal disorder.
Researchers looked at naturally occurring genetic variation in almost 900 cases of Kawasaki disease from a Singapore, the UK, the US and the Netherlands.
Kawasaki affects the mucus membranes, lymph nodes, walls of blood vessels, and the heart, with common symptoms including high fever, rash and swollen hands. It also causes damage to the coronary arteries in a quarter of untreated children and may increase the risk of atherosclerosis in early adulthood.
At present there is no diagnostic test and current treatment fails to prevent coronary in at least one in ten to 20 children, experts warn.
Today's study appears to show genes involved in cardiovascular function and inflammation may be particularly important and some may function together.
As a result, the authors believe their findings could lead to new diagnostics and better treatment as well as offering information about adult cardiovascular disease.
They do warn, however, other genetic variants may also be important, especially in different ethnic groups.
Detailed studies of the function of these genes and larger collaborative studies including East Asian populations, who are at particular risk of Kawasaki disease, are now being carried out.