An immune-molecular hypothesis supporting infectious aetiopathogenesis of Kawasaki disease in children

The competitive binding between CpG-ODN (single-stranded DNA from pathogens) and HLA-B and HLA-A ligands for the inhibitory Killer Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIR)3DL1/2 may lead to possible hypo-sensing of pathogens and ineffective clearance. We observed an overabundance of HLA ligands for inhibitory KIR with three domains in KD subjects.