International Kawasaki Disease Symposium
Christine B. Bernal, MD
On February 3-6, 2015, the American Heart Association presented the 11th International Kawasaki Disease Symposium in Honolulu, Hawaii.
This 3 ½ day conference included lectures, discussions and poster presentations focusing on the latest advances in Kawasaki disease. There were around 200 participants from all continents consisted of pediatricians, pediatric and adult cardiologists, pediatric infectious disease specialists, pediatric rheumatologists, pathologists and basic scientists in genetics, molecular biology, microbiology and cardiovascular pathophysiology.
My research paper entitled “Outcome of Patients with Kawasaki Disease Treated With Intravenous Pulse Methylprednisolone As Primary Therapy: An 8 Year Single Center Experience” was accepted as a poster presentation, the only one from the Philippines. The paper has a great impact on the treatment of Kawasaki disease in our country where the cost of the primary treatment (IVIG) is a big burden to many patients, the positive results seen among the KD patients treated with a more affordable treatment (IV steroids) will be quite beneficial. There were a number of participants who showed great interest in the paper and there was a good exchange of ideas among ourselves. It was a truly an exceptional learning experience and having Dr. Tomisaku Kawasaki, the Japanese Pediatrician who first described the disease in the late 1960s, with us in the meeting made it more special.
The symposium addressed the influence of genetics on disease susceptibility and outcomes, the mechanisms of coronary artery damage following severe acute inflammation, the role of immunomodulation and other novel therapies in preventing artery damage, the potential use of biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis, the use of newer imaging techniques to assess abnormalities of the coronary arteries and myocardium, and new therapies regarding anti-coagulation and vascular health. The current data regarding the worldwide epidemiology was highlighted, Kawasaki disease is indeed the major cause of acquired childhood heart disease in many countries. My research paper entitled “Outcome of Patients with Kawasaki Disease Treated With Intravenous Pulse Methylprednisolone As Primary Therapy: An 8 Year Single Center Experience” was accepted as a poster presentation, the only one from the Philippines. The paper has a great impact on the treatment of Kawasaki disease in our country where the cost of the primary treatment (IVIG) is a big burden to many patients, the positive results seen among the KD patients treated with a more affordable treatment (IV steroids) will be quite beneficial. There were a number of participants who showed great interest in the paper and there was a good exchange of ideas among ourselves.
It was a truly an exceptional learning experience and having Dr. Tomisaku Kawasaki, the Japanese Pediatrician who first described the disease in the late 1960s, with us in the meeting made it more special.
The symposium addressed the influence of genetics on disease susceptibility and outcomes, the mechanisms of coronary artery damage following severe acute inflammation, the role of immunomodulation and other novel therapies in preventing artery damage, the potential use of biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis, the use of newer imaging techniques to assess abnormalities of the coronary arteries and myocardium, and new therapies regarding anti-coagulation and vascular health. The current data regarding the worldwide epidemiology was highlighted, Kawasaki disease is indeed the major cause of acquired childhood heart disease in many countries. My research paper entitled “Outcome of Patients with Kawasaki Disease Treated With Intravenous Pulse Methylprednisolone As Primary Therapy: An 8 Year Single Center Experience” was accepted as a poster presentation, the only one from the Philippines. The paper has a great impact on the treatment of Kawasaki disease in our country where the cost of the primary treatment (IVIG) is a big burden to many patients, the positive results seen among the KD patients treated with a more affordable treatment (IV steroids) will be quite beneficial. There were a number of participants who showed great interest in the paper and there was a good exchange of ideas among ourselves.
It was a truly an exceptional learning experience and having Dr. Tomisaku Kawasaki, the Japanese Pediatrician who first described the disease in the late 1960s, with us in the meeting made it more special.
I would like to thank Dr. Sandra Navarra and the Rheumatology Educational Trust Foundation Inc (RETFI) for the CME grant.