Markers of systemic involvement and death in hospitalized cancer patients with severe cutaneous adverse reactions. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • BACKGROUND: Severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs) are frequent in inpatient oncology. Early intervention might reduce morbidity, mortality, and hospitalization costs; however, current clinical and histologic features are unreliable SCAR predictors. There is a need to identify rational markers of SCARs that could lead to effective therapeutic interventions. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the clinical and serologic features of hospitalized patients with cancer who developed SCARs. METHODS: Retrospective review of 49 hospitalized cancer patients with a morbilliform rash, recorded testing for serum cytokines (interleukin [IL] 6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor [TNF] α) or elafin, and a prior dermatology consultation. Patients were categorized as having a simple morbilliform rash without systemic involvement or complex morbilliform rash with systemic involvement. RESULTS: Fifteen out of 49 patients (30.6%) were deceased at 6 months from time of dermatologic consultation. Elafin, IL-6, and TNF-α were significantly higher in patients who died compared with patients who were still alive at 6 months. IL-6 and IL-10 were significantly higher in patients with a drug-related complex rash. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective design, limited sample size, and high-risk patient population. CONCLUSION: In cancer patients with SCARs, elafin, IL-6, and TNF-α levels might predict a poor outcome. Agents directed against these targets might represent rational treatments for the prevention of fatal SCARs.

publication date

  • October 26, 2018

Research

keywords

  • Cytokines
  • Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome
  • Elafin
  • Hospital Mortality
  • Neoplasms
  • Stevens-Johnson Syndrome

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC6372330

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 85059768945

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1016/j.jaad.2018.10.039

PubMed ID

  • 30612984

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 80

issue

  • 3