HLA-typing in SCARs: What is Important?

Life-threatening Severe Cutaneous Adverse Drug Reactions (SCARs), including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrosis (TEN) and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). Our team previous findings of drug-specific genetic makers related to SCARs (e.g. HLA-B*15:02/HLA-B*57:01 for carbamazepine-induced SJS/TEN, HLA-B*58:01 for allopurinol-induced SCARs, HLA-B*13:01 for co-trimoxazole-induced SCARs and CYP2C*3 for phenytoin-induced SCARs) are important steps for the implementation of personalized medicine by performing genetic tests before prescribing risk medications. These findings can have potential to improve the safety profile of medication in clinical practice and offer the possibility of prospective testing for preventing SCARs.