Does Vitamin C improve endothelial function in patients with Kawasaki disease?

• Main Authors: Mohammad Reza Sabri, Esfandiar Najafi Tavana, Alireza Ahmadi, Naser Mostafavy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2015-01-01
• Series: Journal of Research in Medical Sciences
• Subjects: Endothelium; Kawasaki disease; Vitamin C
• Online Access: http://www.jmsjournal.net/article.asp?issn=1735-1995;year=2015;volume=20;issue=1;spage=32;epage=36;aulast=Sabri

Background: Improvement of endothelial dysfunction could prevent or delay the occurrence of the atherosclerosis process in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD). It is suggested that Vitamin C could improve endothelial dysfunction. In this study, we investigated whether administration of Vitamin C as a water-soluble antioxidant could be effective in this regard among patients with KD. Materials and Methods: In this case control analytic-experimental study, children aged 3-18 years with KD, and a group of healthy children evaluated. Vitamin C (250 mg/daily) administrated for the two studied groups for 1 month. Endothelial function evaluated by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and intima-media thickness (IMT) measurement using vascular Doppler ultrasonography, before and after trial. Results: In this study, 16 patients with KD and 19 normal children were studied. At baseline mean of IMT and FMD was not different in the two studied groups (P > 0.05). After Vitamin C administration IMT decreased significantly in two studied groups (from 27.06 ± 6.27 to 21.56 ± 3.77 in KD group and from 27.66 ± 5.66 to 23.33 ± 3.66 in control group [P < 0.05]). FMD increased in two studied groups, but the difference was significant in the control group (from 6.84 ± 2.51 to 7.03 ± 2.87 in KD group and from 6.53 ± 2.36 to 7.82 ± 2.14 in the control group). Conclusion: Vitamin C might improve the endothelial function of patients with KD.