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Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are severe reactions resulting most often from drugs. A pharmacogenomic approach to selecting medication could prevent such reactions by identifying individuals predisposed to develop SJS/TEN when exposed to specific agents. Researchers in Taiwan performed genetic analyses in 44 patients who developed SJS in response to the antiseizure drug carbamazepine (CBZ), 101 patients who used CBZ without reaction, and 93 healthy control subjects; all participants were Han Chinese, the principal ethnic group of China.
The authors report an increased frequency of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles B*1502, Cw*0801, A*1101, and DRB1*1201 in the SJS patients. Strikingly, HLA B*1502 …