Characterizing T Cell Phenotype In Patients With Hypersensitivity Reactions To Sulfamethoxazole And Beta-Lactam Antibiotics

Delayed drug hypersensitivity reactions (DHRs) are idiosyncratic, T-cell mediated, and can present days after exposure to the culprit drug, resulting in varying degrees of skin rashes. We hypothesize that differences in activated peripheral T cell subsets and types of mediators released produce different clinical phenotypes of drug hypersensitivity reactions to sulphnamides and beta-lactam antibiotics. We recruited participants with previous DHRs to sulfamethoxazole or beta-lactams . Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from participants. T-cell subset proliferation and activation was assessed by T-cell specific surface markers using 3H- thymidine incorporation and flow cytometry, and secreted cytokines were measured using bead-based detection. There is insufficient evidence to conclude which T-cell subtypes are involved in different DHR clinical presentations. There were no significant differences between DHR participants and controls. More participants should be recruited to increase study power and range of clinical presentations, and consider alternate methods of identifying T-cells and modulators of interest