As Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) recently recommended genotype testing for HLA-B*1502 allele prior to initiation of carbamazepine (CBZ) therapy in new patients of Asian ancestry. This recommendation was made in consultation with experts in various fields such as neurology, psychiatry, and dermatology and based on both local and international data supporting a strong association between HLA-B*1502 and CBZ-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN). Genotyping for this group of patients is now considered the standard of care.
Human Leukocyte Antigens are the human form of MHC and are proteins located on the surface of white blood cells and other tissues in the body. HLA-B (major histocompatibility complex, class I, B) is a human gene that provides instructions for making a protein that plays a critical role in the immune system. HLA-B is part of a…
