Reacciones medicamentosas severas en piel / Severe skin drug reactions

Las drogas son sustancias químicas que pueden interferir con el sistema inmune y a veces conducen a reacciones inusuales y severas. Éstas pueden amenazar la vida, requerir hospitalizaciones prolongadas o dejar secuelas significativas. Cerca del 2 por ciento de las reacciones cutáneas inducidas por fármacos se consideran graves. Estas son el angioedema, el shock anafiláctico, el síndrome de Stevens-Johnson (SSJ), la necrolisis epidérmica tóxica (NET), y el síndrome de hipersensibilidad (DRESS), entre otros. Requieren atención especial ya que los síntomas clínicos son heterogéneos y pueden imitar diferentes enfermedades, lo que lleva a retardar el diagnóstico correcto.

Drugs are chemicals that can interfere with the immune system and may sometimes lead to unusual and severe reactions. These can be life threatening, requiring prolonged hospitalization or have significant sequelae. About 2 per cent of drug-induced skin reactions are considered serious. They are angioedema, anaphylactic shock, the Steven-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and hypersensitivity syndrome (DRESS), among others. They require special attention because clinical symptoms are heterogeneous and can mimic different diseases, leading to a delay in the correct diagnosis.

Lipoic acid suppresses compound 48/80-induced anaphylaxis-like reaction / 대한해부학회지

Alpha-lipoic acid (LA), a naturally occurring dithiol compound, is an essential cofactor in metabolic reactions involved in energy utilization. LA improves glycemic control, reduces diabetic polyneuropathies, atherosclerosis, and allergic inflammation. The effects of LA on mast cell-mediated anaphylactic reactions, however, are unknown. LA dose-dependently inhibited systemic and passive cutaneous anaphylaxis-like reactions in mice induced by compound 48/80, a condensation product of N-methyl-p-methoxyphenethylamine and formaldehyde. Pretreatment with LA, prior to induction of the systemic anaphylaxis-like reaction with compound 48/80, reduced plasma histamine levels in a dose-dependent manner. In our in vitro study, LA decreased histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMCs) triggered by compound 48/80. Moreover, an increase in calcium uptake activated by compound 48/80 was inhibited by LA. LA also significantly elevated intracellular cyclic adenosine-3',5' monophosphate (cAMP) levels in RPMCs. This inhibition of mediator release from RPMCs may be due to inhibition of calcium uptake and augmentation of intracellular cAMP levels. Based on these results, we suggest that LA may be a potential remedy for allergy-related diseases.