Frequency of the HLA-B*1502 allele contributing to carbamazepine-induced hypersensitivity reactions in a cohort of Malaysian epilepsy patients.

We describe the association of the HLA-B*1502 allele in 27 epilepsy patients (19 Malays, 8 Chinese) treated with carbamazepine (CBZ) at the UKM Medical Center (UKMMC), 6 with CBZ-Steven Johnson Syndrome (CBZ-SJS), 11 with CBZ-induced rash, 2 with suspected phenytoin-induced rash and 8 negative controls. Our study showed that 10 (6 Malay, 4 Chinese) patients were positive for HLA-B*1502. Out of the 10 patients, six were confirmed to have CBZ-SJS (p = 0.