Genetic Screening May Prevent Adverse Gout Treatment Reaction

Screening for HLA-B*58:01 is especially attractive for its extremely high, negative predictive value. HLA-B*58:01 can also be used for a broader spectrum of ethnic groups, including Thai, Japanese, Korean and European groups. However, the prevalence of HLA-B*58:01 may still need to be better defined in these populations.

Lara C. Pullen, PhD, is a medical writer based in the Chicago area.

References

1. Ko TM, Tsai CY, Chen SY, et al. Use of HLA-B*58:01 genotyping to prevent allopurinol induced severe cutaneous adverse reactions in Taiwan: National prospective cohort study. BMJ. 2015 Sep 23;351:h4848. doi: 10.1136/bmj.h4848.