Diagnostic Value of Interleukin-6 in Acute Kawasaki Disease: A Retrospective Study

Abstract Purpose Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute vasculitis affecting mainly young children and can cause serious coronary artery abnormalities. This study evaluated interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a biomarker for early KD diagnosis and treatment. Methods In a retrospective study, 275 children with acute KD were analyzed, alongside 109 children with other infectious diseases, to assess IL-6's diagnostic specificity. Patients were categorized by coronary artery lesions (CAL) presence and KD type. Results Of the KD patients (mean age 2.45 years), 84 had CAL. IL-6 levels were significantly higher in patients with CAL (223.56 pg/mL) versus without (95.18 pg/mL, p < 0.05) and compared to other infectious diseases (134.86 pg/mL vs. 33.38 pg/mL, p < 0.05). The optimal IL-6 cutoff for predicting CAL had a sensitivity and specificity of 0.6. IL-6 correlated with C-reactive protein (r = 0.404), but no difference was found between typical and incomplete KD. Conclusions Elevated IL-6 levels in acute KD, particularly with CAL, suggest its utility as a diagnostic biomarker. Further studies are needed to confirm IL-6's diagnostic role.