The potential threat of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children
during the COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) during the
COVID-19 pandemic raised a global alert from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention’s Health Alert Network. The main manifestations
of MIS-C in the setting of a severe inflammatory state include fever,
diarrhea, shock, and variable presence of rash, conjunctivitis,
extremity edema, and mucous membrane changes, and in some cases it
progressed to multi-organ failure. The low percentage of children with
asymptomatic cases compared with mild illness and moderate illness could
be correlated with the rare cases of MIS-C. One potential explanation
for the progression to severe MIS-C disease despite the presence of
readily detectable anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies could be due to potential
role of antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). We reason that the
incidence of the ADE phenomenon whereby the pathogen-specific antibodies
can promote pathology should be considered in vaccine development
against SARS-COV-2.