Access

Brief Communications

Nature 428, 486 (1 April 2004) | doi:10.1038/428486a

Open Innovation Challenges

naturejobs

More science jobs
Post a job for free

Medical genetics:  A marker for Stevens–Johnson syndrome

Wen-Hung Chung1, Shuen-Iu Hung3, Hong-Shang Hong1, Mo-Song Hsih2, Li-Cheng Yang1, Hsin-Chun Ho1, Jer-Yuarn Wu3,4 & Yuan-Tsong Chen3,5

Top

Stevens–Johnson syndrome and the related disease toxic epidermal necrolysis are life-threatening reactions of the skin to particular types of medication1, 2, 3. Here we show that there is a strong association in Han Chinese between a genetic marker, the human leukocyte antigen HLA–B*1502, and Stevens–Johnson syndrome induced by carbamazepine, a drug commonly prescribed for the treatment of seizures. It should be possible to exploit this association in a highly reliable test to predict severe adverse reaction, as well as for investigation of the pathogenesis of Stevens–Johnson syndrome.