Treatment of drug-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis (Lyell's syndrome) with intravenous human immunoglobulins.
Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a rare drug-induced life-threatening disease. Currently, the disease is only treated by supportive and antiseptic measures. Quite recently intravenous immunoglobulins (IG) were shown to be a promising TEN treatment. The rationale for their use is based on the fact that keratinocyte apoptosis in TEN involves the CD95 (APO-1/Fas) cell surface receptor-ligand system. We successfully treated a TEN patient with high dose of intravenous IG. The clinical recovery appeared exceptionally rapid. Immunohistochemistry showed that the IG action probably developed on the CD95 receptor-ligand system at the keratinocytes surface.
Paquet
P
P
Department of Dermatopathology, CHU Sart Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium. p.pacquet@chu.ulg.ac.be
Jacob
E
E
Damas
P
P
Piérard
G E
GE
D000368:Aged; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D013262:Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000009:adverse effects; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000502:physiology
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D019014:fas Receptor; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination