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In DRESS/DIHS, early treatment with high dose steroids may suppress HHV-6; late treatment may prolong viremia

In All, Drug Hypersensitivity, Transplant Complications by Kristin Loomis

High dose steroids given in the first week appears to prevent HHV-6 reactivation in DRESS/DIHS patients by suppressing T-cell activation and serum interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) levels. In contrast, a late start of steroid therapy resulted in a persistently high viral load for at least three weeks.

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HHV-6 reactivation tied to early hypogammaglobulinemia in drug hypersensitivity syndrome

In All, Drug Hypersensitivity, Immune Dysfunction by Kristin Loomis

A Spanish study of drug-induced eosinophilia found that early hypogammaglobulinemia was associated with subsequent HHV-6 reactivation in patients with severe drug hypersensitivity syndromes. This study of 274 cases at La Paz University Hospital in Madrid confirms earlier reports from Japan and France that described transient reductions of total IgG at the outset of drug hypersensitivity reactions leading to HHV-6 reactivation.

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Does CD134 upregulation explain why HHV-6 reactivates preferentially in DRESS/ DIHS?

In All, Drug Hypersensitivity, Latest Scientific News, Rash & Roseola, Transplant Complications by Kristin Loomis

It has long been a mystery why HHV-6 is preferentially reactivated in drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), also known as drug induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS). HHV-6 reactivation occurs in over 60% of severe cases and is part of the definition of DIHS in Japan. Investigators in Japan suspect that the explanation may lie with the CD134 receptor on activated CD4 cells.