BACKGROUND: The time course and rate of recovery of @entity296 in association with @entity573 in response to intravenous gamma-globulin is unknown and may provide mechanistic clues. METHODS AND RESULTS: The acute changes in myocardial contractility in 25 @entity1 with @entity573 were evaluated by noninvasive stress-shortening and stress-velocity analysis. Echocardiograms were performed before and then daily for 4 days during which the @entity1 received gamma-globulin 1.6 to 2 g/kg. Before treatment, contractility was abnormally low (<2 SD) in 14 @entity1 (56%). Contractility increased significantly (2 SD increase) in 17 (68%), including 13 of 14 with @entity308 and 4 whose initial contractility fell within normal limits. Of the 14 @entity1 with @entity308 , 8 (57%) normalized within 24 hours and a further 5 (35.7%) normalized within 6 months. A clinical response to treatment (fall in C-reactive protein by 50% and/or resolution of @entity221 within 4 days) was seen in 22 @entity1 (88%). Contractility increased in 17 of the 22 clinical responders and was normal before therapy in the other 5. The 3 @entity1 who did not respond clinically also had no change in contractility with gamma-globulin therapy. Long-term (more than 12 months) follow-up was available in 19 @entity1 . All @entity1 had normal contractility at late follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: More than half the @entity1 with @entity573 have abnormal contractility at presentation. Myocardial response to gamma-globulin therapy is associated with rapid improvement in myocardial mechanics, with a high concordance between the clinical and myocardial response to therapy. The speed of recovery suggests that @entity308 in @entity1 with @entity573 is caused by a rapidly reversible process such as circulating toxins or activated cytokines. Long-term outcome is good even in those @entity1 with slow recovery of myocardial function.

Abnormal myocardial mechanics in XXXX : rapid response to gamma-globulin.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity296 :: ('MESH:D009202', 'Disease') :: ['myocardial dysfunction'] @entity308 :: ('MESH:D003866', 'Disease') :: ['depressed contractility'] @entity573 :: ('MESH:C537014', 'Disease') :: ['Kawasaki disease'] @entity221 :: ('MESH:D005334', 'Disease') :: ['fever']
@entity573 :: (MESH:C537014,Disease) :: ['Kawasaki disease']
