HLA-B * 1502 Allele is Associated with a Cross-Reactivity Pattern of Cutaneous Adverse Reactions to Antiepileptic Drugs

Abstract

The US Food and Drug Administration has recommended genetic screening for the human leucocyte antigen-B (HLA-B)^* 1502 allele in patients of Asian ethnicity before starting carbamazepine therapy, to avoid the fatal adverse treatment-related events associated with this drug. The association between cross-reactivity to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and the HLA-B^*1502 allele has been only rarely reported. Here, two cases of cross-reactivity to AEDs, where cutaneous adverse drug reactions (cADRs) developed in female Han Chinese patients with epilepsy who tested positive for the HLA-B^*1502 allele, are described. If the genetic association could be confirmed in larger studies, the HLA-B^*1502 allele should be tested for in any patient experiencing cADRs, to avoid cross-reactivity to AEDs.

Keywords

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs)Asian patients Epilepsy Cross reactivity Cutaneous adverse drug reactions (cADRs)

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