Gene transcription in carbamazepine- and minocycline-induced DRESS

Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) is a severe, drug-induced reaction that involves both the skin and viscera. To understand the immunological components of DRESS, we prospectively assessed 40 DRESS patients. The patients were evaluated for phenotype, cytokine secretion, repertoire of CD4+ and CD8+ peripheral blood T lymphocytes and viral reactivation. A subgroup of patients was analyzed using microarrays. Patients with carbamazepine- or minocycline- induced DRESS were pooled separately for analysis. RNA from total PBMCs and CD4+ and CD8+-sorted blood T cells was amplified. Expression of 894 genes of immunological interest was analyzed with a PIQOR TM arrays (Miltenyi). Gene expression was individually compared between day 0 and 90 in the minocycline-induced DRESS patients. Control groups included patients taking minocycline carbamazepine, and healthy patients without medication.