Development of early diagnostic method of severe drug eruption

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K16342
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Dermatology
• Research Institution: Ehime University
• Principal Investigator: Namba Chika 愛媛大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (50736139)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: skin blotting法 / 炎症性皮膚疾患 / TNF-α / IFN-γ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

There is a technique referred to as “skin-blotting” to measure the amounts of percutaneously expressed cytokines by putting the nitrocellulose membrane on the lesional skin. We analyzed the cytokines such as TNF-α and IFN-γ on the lesional skin of the inflammatory skin diseases and examined the correlation with the degree of skin damages based on the histopathological diagnosis. We investigated if the evaluation of the cytokines detected by the skin-blotting is useful for the early diagnosis or identification of the severity of erythema multiforme, fixed drug eruption, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, and prurigo chronica multiformis. Then, we detected the differences between the lesional and non-lesional skins of severe patients.

Free Research Field

乾癬、薬疹

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

重症薬疹は早期診断が重要となる疾患であるが、多型紅斑型の発疹が、Stevens-Johnson症候群や中毒性表皮壊死症のような重症薬疹へ進展するかどうかは臨床所見のみでは鑑別は困難である。また、早期診断に有用な血中のバイオマーカーは未だないことから、診断と評価には皮膚生検が不可欠である。今回行ったskin blotting法による経皮的なサイトカインの検出により、皮膚障害の重症度を予測することが可能となれば、侵襲度の高い皮膚生検を行わず、非侵襲的な方法で重症薬疹の早期診断を行うことが可能となるかもしれない。