Genetic Links To Kawasaki Syndrome Researchers identify genes related to Kawasaki disease_English_Xinhua SINGAPORE, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) Researchers identified new genes that appear to be involved in making some children more susceptible to the Kawasaki disease, local media reported on Friday. According to Channel news Asia's report, an international collaboration team on Kawasaki disease, grouped by researchers from Singapore, Australia, the Netherlands, Britain and the United States, has identified new processes that may now become therapeutic targets and could have implications for other cardiovascular diseases. The Kawasaki disease, also known as lymph node syndrome, is an acute disease of young children characterized by a rash and swollen lymph nodes and fever. It affects the mucus membranes, lymph nodes, walls of blood vessels, and the heart, and causes damage to the coronary arteries in a quarter of untreated children. The study shows that genes involved in cardiovascular function and inflammation may be particularly important and some seem to function together, but the findings do not prove that the new genes are functionally involved. "Other genetic variants may be important, especially in different ethnic groups," the report said. The genome study included nearly 900 cases of Kawasaki disease in different regions. Researchers are now expanding the study to include East Asian populations. The Kawasaki disease was first described in 1967 by doctor Tomisaku Kawasaki in Japan.
