Background: We explored the correlation between the TGFBR2 gene that is mediated by NF-κb signaling pathways and the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease in children.
Methods: In this study, 43 children with Kawasaki disease from April 2014 to January 2016 at our hospital were selected as the observation group, and 42 healthy children were selected as the control group. The mRNA expression levels of NF-κb gene and TGFBR2 gene in different groups were detected using fluorescence quantitative PCR. The protein expression levels of the NF-κb and TGFBR2 were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in different groups. The expression levels of NF-κb and TGFBR2 in the observation group and the control group were detected using immunohistochemistry.
Results: Compared to the control group, the mRNA expression levels of NF-κb and TGFBR2 were 12.3 times and 27.5 times as high as those in the control group respectively and there were significant differences between the two groups (P<0.05). ELISA results showed that there were significant differences between the protein expression levels of NF-κb and TGFBR2 in the control group (0.87±0.12, 1.25±0.18 µg/L) and those in the observation group (3.27±0.17, 8.16±0.22 µg/L) (P<0.05). Western-blotting results showed that the expression levels of the NF-κB and TGFBR2 in children with Kawasaki disease were significantly higher than those in healthy subjects (P<0.05). Immunohistochemistry results showed that the positive cell rate of TGFBR2 (89.7%) was significantly higher in children with Kawasaki disease than that in healthy children (4.5%); there was significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05).
Conclusions: The TGFBR2 may be involved in the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease in children through NF-κb signaling pathways.