We have established an animal model of coronary arteritis which is histopathologically similar to that observed in cases of Kawasaki disease (KD), is a well-known childhood vasculitis syndrome. Coronary arteritis in this mouse model has been induced by intraperitoneal injection of Candida albicans -derived substances (CADS). Arteritis varied by mouse strain with the highest incidence by 71.1% (27/38) found in C3H/HeN mice, but absent in CBA/JN mice (0%, 0/27), suggesting association of genomic background to develop the disease. The present study aims to elucidate the susceptibility loci associated with coronary arteritis by using this animal model. The association of the onset of arteritis with polymorphic microsatellite markers between the two strains was examined using one hundred and fifteen of N1 backcross progeny [(CBAxC3H)F1xC3H]. Based on our analysis, arteritis-susceptibility loci with suggestive linkage were mapped on D1Mit171 and D1Mit245(map position 20.2 cM) on chromosome 1 (P=0.0019). These loci include several kinds of inflammatory cytokine receptors, such as interleukin 1 receptor and tumor necrosis factor receptor. We also found the cytokine response against CADS, levels of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-6 in sera increased within 24 hr after CADS injection. Our results may indicate based on genomics that ligand-receptor interaction between these inflammatory cytokines and the receptors of these cytokines may affect the onset of arteritis.