An association between clozapine-induced agranulocytosis in schizophrenics and HLA-DQB1*0201.
A group of 18 Israeli, clozapine-treated, schizophrenia patients underwent molecular and serological HLA typing in order to determine whether the major histocompatibility complex is associated with the development of clozapine-induced agranulocytosis. While under treatment with clozapine, 2 of the 18 patients developed agranulocytosis (total white blood cell count <3000/mm(3) and absolute polymorphonuclear count <500/mm(3)) and 3 developed granulocytopenia (total white blood cell count <3500/mm(3) and absolute polymorphonuclear count <1000/mm(3)). HLA-DQB1*0201 was present in all five patients who developed agranulocytosis or granulocytopenia (5/5; 100%), but in only 54% (7/13) of the patients who did not develop those complications. These findings indicate that DQB1*0201 or a gene located nearby could be involved in clozapine-induced agranulocytosis.
Amar
Avraham
A
Tissue Typing Unit, Hadassah - Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
Segman
Ronnen H.
RH
Shtrussberg
Shlomo
S
Sherman
Leny
L
Safirman
Cilly
C
Lerer
Bernard
B
Brautbar
Chaim
C