Targeted therapy guided by single-cell transcriptomic analysis in drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome: a case report

D Kim, T Kobayashi, B Voisin, JH Jo, K Sakamoto… - Nature medicine, 2020 - nature.com
D Kim, T Kobayashi, B Voisin, JH Jo, K Sakamoto, SP Jin, M Kelly, HB Pasieka, JL Naff…
Nature medicine, 2020nature.com
Drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome/drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic
symptoms (DiHS/DRESS) is a potentially fatal multiorgan inflammatory disease associated
with herpesvirus reactivation and subsequent onset of autoimmune diseases,,–.
Pathophysiology remains elusive and therapeutic options are limited. Cases refractory to
corticosteroid therapy pose a clinical challenge, and approximately 30% of patients with
DiHS/DRESS develop complications, including infections and inflammatory and …
Abstract
Drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome/drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DiHS/DRESS) is a potentially fatal multiorgan inflammatory disease associated with herpesvirus reactivation and subsequent onset of autoimmune diseases, , –. Pathophysiology remains elusive and therapeutic options are limited. Cases refractory to corticosteroid therapy pose a clinical challenge, and approximately 30% of patients with DiHS/DRESS develop complications, including infections and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases,,. Progress in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provides an opportunity to dissect human disease pathophysiology at unprecedented resolutions, particularly in diseases lacking animal models, such as DiHS/DRESS. We performed scRNA-seq on skin and blood from a patient with refractory DiHS/DRESS, identifying the JAK–STAT signaling pathway as a potential target. We further showed that central memory CD4+ T cells were enriched with DNA from human herpesvirus 6b. Intervention via tofacitinib enabled disease control and tapering of other immunosuppressive agents. Tofacitinib, as well as antiviral agents, suppressed culprit-induced T cell proliferation in vitro, further supporting the roles of the JAK–STAT pathway and herpesviruses in mediating the adverse drug reaction. Thus, scRNA-seq analyses guided successful therapeutic intervention in the patient with refractory DiHS/DRESS. scRNA-seq may improve our understanding of complicated human disease pathophysiology and provide an alternative approach in personalized medicine.
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