Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

HLA-A*31:01 and different types of carbamazepine-induced severe cutaneous adverse reactions: an international study and meta-analysis

Abstract

HLA-A*31:01 was reported to be associated with carbamazepine (CBZ)-induced severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCAR), including drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), Stevens–Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). We conducted an international study using consensus diagnosis criteria to enroll a total of 93 patients with CBZ-SCAR from Europe or Asia. We found that HLA-A*31:01 showed a significant association with CBZ-DRESS in Europeans (P<0.001; odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI))=57.6 (11.0–340)), and the strong association was also found in Chinese (P<0.001; OR (95% CI)=23.0 (4.2–125)). However, HLA-A*31:01 had no association with CBZ-SJS/TEN in neither Chinese nor Europeans. By comparison, HLA-B*15:02 showed a strong association with CBZ-SJS/TEN in Chinese (P<0.001, OR (95% CI)=58.1 (17.6–192)). A meta-analysis of this and other published studies confirmed that in all populations, HLA-A*31:01 had an extremely strong association with CBZ-DRESS (P<0.001, a pooled OR (95% CI)=13.2 (8.4–20.8)), but a much weaker association with CBZ-SJS/TEN (P=0.01, OR (95% CI)=3.94 (1.4–11.5)). Our data revealed that HLA-A*31:01 is a specific predictor for CBZ-DRESS but not for CBZ-SJS/TEN. More studies are needed to investigate the genetic determinant of CBZ-SJS/TEN in Europeans. Considering the potential clinical utility, the cost-effectiveness of the combined HLA-A*31:01 and HLA-B*15:02 genetic test to prevent CBZ-SCAR in Chinese needs further investigation.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gamble C, Williamson PR, Chadwick DW, Marson AG . A meta-analysis of individual patient responses to lamotrigine or carbamazepine monotherapy. Neurology 2006; 66: 1310–1317.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Roujeau JC, Kelly JP, Naldi L, Rzany B, Stern RS, Anderson T et al. Medication use and the risk of Stevens–Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis. N Engl J Med 1995; 333: 1600–1607.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Mockenhaupt M, Messenheimer J, Tennis P, Schlingmann J . Risk of Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis in new users of antiepileptics. Neurology 2005; 64: 1134–1138.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Yang CY, Dao RL, Lee TJ, Lu CW, Yang CH, Hung SI et al. Severe cutaneous adverse reactions to antiepileptic drugs in Asians. Neurology 2011; 77: 2025–2033.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Knowles SR, Shapiro LE, Shear NH . Anticonvulsant hypersensitivity syndrome: incidence, prevention and management. Drug Saf 1999; 21: 489–501.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Roujeau JC, Stern RS . Severe adverse cutaneous reactions to drugs. N Engl J Med 1994; 331: 1272–1285.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Auquier-Dunant A, Mockenhaupt M, Naldi L, Correia O, Schroder W, Roujeau JC . Correlations between clinical patterns and causes of erythema multiforme majus, Stevens–Johnson syndrome, and toxic epidermal necrolysis: results of an international prospective study. Arch Dermatol 2002; 138: 1019–1024.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Kardaun SH, Sidoroff A, Valeyrie-Allanore L, Halevy S, Davidovici BB, Mockenhaupt M et al. Variability in the clinical pattern of cutaneous side-effects of drugs with systemic symptoms: does a DRESS syndrome really exist? Br J Dermatol 2007; 156: 609–611.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Chiou CC, Yang LC, Hung SI, Chang YC, Kuo TT, Ho HC et al. Clinicopathological features and prognosis of drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms: a study of 30 cases in Taiwan. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2008; 22: 1044–1049.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Cacoub P, Musette P, Descamps V, Meyer O, Speirs C, Finzi L et al. The DRESS syndrome: a literature review. Am J Med 2011; 124: 588–597.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Pichler WJ, Naisbitt DJ, Park BK . Immune pathomechanism of drug hypersensitivity reactions. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2011; 127: S74–S81.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Chung WH, Hung SI . Recent advances in the genetics and immunology of Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrosis. J Dermatol Sci 2012; 66: 190–196.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Phillips EJ, Chung WH, Mockenhaupt M, Roujeau JC, Mallal SA . Drug hypersensitivity: pharmacogenetics and clinical syndromes. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2011; 127: S60–S66.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Chung WH, Hung SI, Hong HS, Hsih MS, Yang LC, Ho HC et al. Medical genetics: a marker for Stevens–Johnson syndrome. Nature 2004; 428: 486.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Hung SI, Chung WH, Jee SH, Chen WC, Chang YT, Lee WR et al. Genetic susceptibility to carbamazepine-induced cutaneous adverse drug reactions. Pharmacogenet Genom 2006; 16: 297–306.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Zhang Y, Wang J, Zhao LM, Peng W, Shen GQ, Xue L et al. Strong association between HLA-B*1502 and carbamazepine-induced Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis in mainland Han Chinese patients. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2011; 67: 885–887.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Locharernkul C, Loplumlert J, Limotai C, Korkij W, Desudchit T, Tongkobpetch S et al. Carbamazepine and phenytoin induced Stevens–Johnson syndrome is associated with HLA-B*1502 allele in Thai population. Epilepsia 2008; 49: 2087–2091.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Tassaneeyakul W, Tiamkao S, Jantararoungtong T, Chen P, Lin SY, Chen WH et al. Association between HLA-B*1502 and carbamazepine-induced severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions in a Thai population. Epilepsia 2010; 51: 926–930.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Kulkantrakorn K, Tassaneeyakul W, Tiamkao S, Jantararoungtong T, Prabmechai N, Vannaprasaht S et al. HLA-B*1502 strongly predicts carbamazepine-induced Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis in Thai patients with neuropathic pain. Pain Pract 2012; 12: 202–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Chang CC, Too CL, Murad S, Hussein SH . Association of HLA-B*1502 allele with carbamazepine-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis and Stevens–Johnson syndrome in the multi-ethnic Malaysian population. Int J Dermatol 2011; 50: 221–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Mehta TY, Prajapati LM, Mittal B, Joshi CG, Sheth JJ, Patel DB et al. Association of HLA-B*1502 allele and carbamazepine-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome among Indians. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2009; 75: 579–582.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Ferrell PB Jr, McLeod HL . Carbamazepine, HLA-B*1502 and risk of Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis: US FDA recommendations. Pharmacogenomics 2008; 9: 1543–1546.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. McCormack M, Alfirevic A, Bourgeois S, Farrell JJ, Kasperavičiūtė D, Carrington M et al. HLA-A*3101 and carbamazepine-induced hypersensitivity reactions in Europeans. N Engl J Med 2011; 364: 1134–1143.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Ozeki T, Mushiroda T, Yowang A, Takahashi A, Kubo M, Shirakata Y et al. Genome-wide association study identifies HLA-A*3101 allele as a genetic risk factor for carbamazepine-induced cutaneous adverse drug reactions in Japanese population. Hum Mol Genet 2011; 20: 1034–1041.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Roujeau JC . The spectrum of Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis: a clinical classification. J Invest Dermatol 1994; 102: 28S–30S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Bastuji-Garin S, Rzany B, Stern RS, Shear NH, Naldi L, Roujeau JC . Clinical classification of cases of toxic epidermal necrolysis, Stevens–Johnson syndrome, and erythema multiforme. Arch Dermatol 1993; 129: 92–96.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Naranjo CA, Busto U, Sellers EM, Sandor P, Ruiz I, Roberts EA et al. A method for estimating the probability of adverse drug reactions. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1981; 30: 239–245.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Sassolas B, Haddad C, Mockenhaupt M, Dunant A, Liss Y, Bork K et al. ALDEN, an algorithm for assessment of drug causality in Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis: comparison with case–control analysis. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2010; 88: 60–68.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Génin E, Schumacher M, Roujeau JC, Naldi L, Liss Y, Kazma R et al. Genome-wide association study of Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis in Europe. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2011; 6: 52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Hung SI, Chung WH, Liou LB, Chu CC, Lin M, Huang HP et al. HLA-B*5801 allele as a genetic marker for severe cutaneous adverse reactions caused by allopurinol. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2005; 102: 4134–4139.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Hung SI, Chung WH, Liu ZS, Chen CH, Hsih MS, Hui RC et al. Common risk allele in aromatic antiepileptic-drug induced Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis in Han Chinese. Pharmacogenomics 2010; 11: 349–356.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Alfirevic A, Jorgensen AL, Williamson PR, Chadwick DW, Park BK, Pirmohamed M . HLA-B locus in Caucasian patients with carbamazepine hypersensitivity. Pharmacogenomics 2006; 7: 813–818.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Schmidt AH, Baier D, Solloch UV, Stahr A, Cereb N, Wassmuth R et al. Estimation of high-resolution HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 allele and haplotype frequencies based on 8862 German stem cell donors and implications for strategic donor registry planning. Hum Immunol 2009; 70: 895–902.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Wen SH, Lai MJ, Yang KL . Human leukocyte antigen-A, -B, and -DRB1 haplotypes of cord blood units in the Tzu Chi Taiwan Cord Blood Bank. Hum Immunol 2008; 69: 430–436.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Kim SH, Lee KW, Song WJ, Kim SH, Jee YK, Lee SM et al. Carbamazepine-induced severe cutaneous adverse reactions and HLA genotypes in Koreans. Epilepsy Res 2011; 97: 190–197.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Amstutz U, Ross CJ, Castro-Pastrana LI, Rieder MJ, Shear NH, Hayden MR et alCPNDS Consortium. HLA-A*31:01 and HLA-B*15:02 as genetic markers for carbamazepine hypersensitivity in children. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2013; 94: 142–149.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Chen P, Lin JJ, Lu CS, Ong CT, Hsieh PF, Yang CC et al. Carbamazepine-induced toxic effects and HLA-B*1502 screening in Taiwan. N Engl J Med 2011; 364: 1126–1133.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Yip VL, Marson AG, Jorgensen AL, Pirmohamed M, Alfirevic A . HLA genotype and carbamazepine-induced cutaneous adverse drug reactions: a systematic review. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2012; 92: 757–765.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Nassif A, Bensussan A, Boumsell L, Deniaud A, Moslehi H, Wolkenstein P et al. Toxic epidermal necrolysis: effector cells are drug-specific cytotoxic T cells. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2004; 114: 1209–1215.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Chung WH, Hung SI, Yang JY, Su SC, Huang SP, Wei CY et al. Granulysin is a key mediator for disseminated keratinocyte death in Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis. Nat Med 2008; 14: 1343–1350.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Takahashi R, Kano Y, Yamazaki Y, Kimishima M, Mizukawa Y, Shiohara T . Defective regulatory T cells in patients with severe drug eruptions: timing of the dysfunction is associated with the pathological phenotype and outcome. J Immunol 2009; 182: 8071–8079.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Shiohara T, Kano Y, Takahashi R, Ishida T, Mizukawa Y . Drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome: recent advances in the diagnosis, pathogenesis and management. Chem Immunol Allergy 2012; 97: 122–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Picard D, Janela B, Descamps V, D'Incan M, Courville P, Jacquot S et al. Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS): a multiorgan antiviral T cell response. Sci Transl Med 2010; 2: 46–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Chung WH, Hung SI, Chen YT . Human leukocyte antigens and drug hypersensitivity. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 2007; 7: 317–323.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Wei CY, Chung WH, Huang HW, Chen YT, Hung SI . Direct interaction between HLA-B and carbamazepine activates T cells in patients with Stevens–Johnson syndrome. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2012; 129: 1562–1569.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Ko TM, Chung WH, Wei CY, Shih HY, Chen JK, Lin CH et al. Shared and restricted T-cell receptor use is crucial for carbamazepine-induced Stevens–Johnson syndrome. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2011; 128: 1266–1276.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Dong D, Sung C, Finkelstein EA . Cost-effectiveness of HLA-B*1502 genotyping in adult patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy in Singapore. Neurology 2012; 79: 1259–1267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The study was supported by the National Science Council (99-3114-B-182A-001; 101-2320-B-010-072-MY3; NSC101-2321-B-010-027; NSC102-2314-B-010 -014 -MY3), Taiwan Ministry of Education (Aim for the Top University Plan, Genomic Research Center, National Yang-Ming University) and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CMRPG 290051G), Taiwan.

Author contributions

EG, D-PC and. S-IH: analysis and interpretation of data, organizing, analysis and drafting the manuscript; PS, MS: data analysis; P-YC, S-HT and Dr T-LW: HLA genotyping and acquisition of data; TB, RT, CF, AT, DC, AH and PW: enrolling patients, collecting the clinical data from the medical charts; W-HC, MM and J-CR: supervising, monitoring, directing this study, enrolling patients, consulting the diagnosis and definition of diseases, and writing the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to W-H Chung or M Mockenhaupt.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

PowerPoint slides

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Genin, E., Chen, DP., Hung, SI. et al. HLA-A*31:01 and different types of carbamazepine-induced severe cutaneous adverse reactions: an international study and meta-analysis. Pharmacogenomics J 14, 281–288 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/tpj.2013.40

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/tpj.2013.40

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links