Use

The HLA-B*58:01 genotyping test is designed to identify patients at increased risk for severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCAR) to allopurinol, a drug commonly used to treat hyperuricemia and gout. SCAR includes conditions like Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), which can be life-threatening. The presence of the HLA-B*58:01 allele shows a strong association with allopurinol-induced SCAR, leading to recommendations for testing before initiating allopurinol therapy. Due to the severe nature of SCAR, which has a high mortality rate, identifying the allele can guide safer use of allopurinol, particularly in populations with higher allele frequencies.