Quantitative serum proteomics to identify candidate biomarkers of coronary artery lesions in Kawasaki disease

Background The most critical complication of Kawasaki disease (KD) is the development of coronary artery lesions (CALs). Several parameters have been investigated as potential biomarkers for predicting CAL development, but none have been deemed accurate. Therefore, this study aimed to identify novel biomarkers for detecting emergent CALs using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC/MS). Methods We recruited five patients with and five without CALs among the 299 KD patients. An LC/MS‐based proteomic analysis of the sera of KD patients was employed to examine the candidate proteins associated with CAL development. Results Six proteins presenting lower ratios in patients with CALs compared to those without were identified. Among these proteins, histidine‐rich glycoprotein (HRG) had the lowest concentration and p ‐value, and its serum levels were lower in patients with CALs than in those without CALs. Conclusions The findings indicate HRG to be a potential biomarker for predicting CAL development in KD patients.