[Expression of LFA-1 and ICAM-1 on peripheral blood T-cells and soluble CD2 levels in serum during acute Kawasaki disease].

To clarify the activation of peripheral blood T-cells in Kawasaki Disease (KD) patients, we investigated whether the expression of lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) and/or intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) on peripheral blood T-cells and serum levels of soluble CD2 (sCD2) increase during the acute stage. Expression of cellular adhesion molecules was analyzed using flow cytometry. sCD2 levels in serum were measured by a sandwich enzyme immunoassay. There was a decrease in the number of CD3+ T-cells in the bright LFA-1 alpha and LFA-1 beta population and a concomitant increase in the dim population of LFA-1 alpha and LFA-1 beta during the acute stage, in comparison with the convalescent stage. In addition, we observed no significant differences in ICAM-1 expression between the acute stage and the convalescent stage. There were no significant differences in sCD2 levels among the acute stage, the convalescent stage and the control subjects. In our view the present data, in conjunction with previous reports on T-cell function during acute KD, suggest that sequestration of activated peripheral blood T-cells may be a feature of this disease.