by Lori Solomon

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) may be associated with an increased risk for future cardiovascular complications due to significant persistent vascular alterations, according to a research letter published online Jan. 16 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Julie Boever, from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, and colleagues conducted a case-control study of 17 patients with MIS-C and 17 matched controls with a median follow-up of 114.5 days.

The researchers found that during the acute phase, patients with MIS-C showed significantly damaged microcirculation, including lower median microvascular flow index (2.36 versus 2.80), total vessel density (16.14 versus 19.61 mm/mm2), and proportion of perfused vessels (12.31 versus 18.10 percent) compared with controls.

There was alteration of vessel diameter distribution with significant capillary rarefication. Even without ongoing inflammation, impaired microcirculatory parameters persisted during follow-up. These findings persisted when adjusting for age, body mass index, and sex. In MIS-C, the augmentation index was significantly increased only during follow-up (median, −7.05 versus −18.01).

"This study emphasizes the importance of understanding the vascular impact of MIS-C during the acute phase and follow-up period to provide appropriate medical care and interventions," the authors write.

More information: Julie Boever et al, Long-Term Microvascular Changes in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, JAMA Pediatrics (2024). DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.6022

Journal information: JAMA Pediatrics 

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