upcoming JAMA publication:
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Shuen-Iu Hung, PhD, for the Taiwan SCAR consortium
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology,
National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 112 Taiwan
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Reply: Phenytoin, a widely prescribed antiepileptic drug, can cause
severe cutaneous adverse reactions (
SCAR) (e.g., Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) ), which carry high mortality and morbidity. The genomic basis of phenytoin-induced SCAR has not been known. This study identifies
CYP2C variants, including
CYP2C9*3 known to reduce drug clearance, as the key genetic factors associated with phenytoin-related severe cutaneous adverse reactions. These findings have potential to improve the safety profile of phenytoin in clinical practice and offer the possibility of prospective testing for preventing phenytoin-related SCAR.
