Before starting allopurinol in a patient of Han Chinese descent, current guidelines recommend screening for which marker to reduce the risk of severe cutaneous adverse reactions?
- A HLA-B*58:01 ✓
- B HLA-B*57:01
- C HLA-B*15:02
- D TPMT enzyme activity
Correct answer: A. HLA-B*58:01
Explanation
Allopurinol hypersensitivity syndrome, presenting as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis or DRESS, is strongly associated with HLA-B*58:01, particularly in Han Chinese, Thai and Korean populations. HLA-B*15:02 predicts carbamazepine-induced SJS/TEN, HLA-B*57:01 predicts abacavir hypersensitivity, and TPMT testing guides azathioprine dosing. In India, where both Han Chinese ancestry and gout are encountered, this association is a frequently examined pharmacogenetic fact.
Reference: Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 14th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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