Regression effect of renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitors on Kawasaki disease patients with coronary artery aneurysm: a prospective, observational study

This study is to investigate whether angiotensin type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs) or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) can regress coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD).

This multicenter, prospective, observational study was conducted at 53 institutions throughout Japan. We enrolled patients who were diagnosed with KD after January 2015 and had a medium or large CAA (maximum luminal diameter ≥ 4 mm or z score ≥  + 5) 30 days or later after KD onset.

Of the 209 patients, 47 (22%) were taking ARBs/ ACEis. Compared with those in the non-ARB/ACEi group, the baseline CAA diameter was significantly greater (6.7 mm vs. 5.5 mm, p < 0.01), and bilateral CAA (70% vs. 59%, p = 0.01) and giant CAA (32% vs. 20%, p = 0.08) were more frequently observed in the ARB/ACEi group. Although the overall regression rates did not differ between the groups (67% vs. 65%), the regression rates of giant CAA were approximately 1.6 times greater in the ARB/ACEi group than in the non-ARB/ACEi group (36% vs. 23%). Multivariate Cox regression analysis after adjustment for other clinical variables suggested that ARBs/ACEis may be a factor in CAA regression (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.91–2.46).

Although ARBs/ ACEis were used more frequently in patients with severe CAA, these patients had similar CAA regression rates to patients not taking ARBs/ACEis. ARBs/ACEis may be beneficial agents aimed at inducing CAA regression in KD patients.