Objective: To investigate the effect of plasma homocysteic acid (HCA) reduction on serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level in children with Kawasaki disease (KD).
Methods: Seventy-six children with KD were divided into 2 equal groups for treatment with aspirin and IVIG, or with vitamin B6 and folic acid besides in addition to aspirin and IVIG. Serum CRP level was tested before and after the treatments, and plasma HCA level was also measured after the treatments.
Results: Serum CRP level was comparable between the two groups before the treatment, but significantly reduced after vitamin B6 and folic acid treatment (7.56-/+2.94 mg/L vs 12.23-/+4.16 mg/L, P<0.05). Additional vitamin B6 and folic acid treatment significantly lowered plasma HCA level (4.56-/+1.14 micromol/L vs 7.79-/+1.79 micromol/L, P<0.05), and correlation analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between plasma HCA and serum CRP levels (r=0.697, P<0.01).
Conclusion: Lowering plasma HCA can decrease serum CRP in children with KD to enhance the therapeutic effect.