Abstract
Significance of HLA-B*15 in three pemphigus patients with rituximab-triggered severe cutaneous drug reactions
- Department of Dermatology and Venerology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
Introduction:
Rituximab, a CD20 inhibitor, has swiftly become the primary treatment for pemphigus patients.
Aim:
We present 3 cases of pemphigus patients who had undergone rituximab treatment.
Material and methods:
After the second intravenous administration of rituximab, the primary rash developed into severe cutaneous drug reactions. Peripheral blood was collected from the aforementioned 3 patients for the detection of susceptibility genes by using second-generation sequencing.
Results:
Notably, a significant resemblance was observed in the HLA profiles of these 3 patients, particularly regarding high-risk alleles associated with rituximab-induced severe cutaneous drug reactions (CDRs). This rare occurrence of severe CDRs post-rituximab administration may be HLA-dependent and linked to HLA-B*15:02:01, HLA-B*15:12 and HLA-B*15:27:01. This pioneering laboratory trial shows the pathological background of rituximab-induced severe cutaneous drug reactions.
Conclusions:
Our findings contribute to the expanding catalogue of potential HLA-B*15 linked to severe CDRs and underscore the importance of vigilance regarding such reactions in pemphigus patients undergoing rituximab therapy.
>Keywords
pemphigus, rituximab, severe cutaneous drug reactions, HLA
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