Developing pharmacogenetic screening methods for an emergent country: Vietnam

The finding of strong associations between certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotypes and the development of severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (SCARs), [for example, HLA-B*57:01 and abacavir (ABC), HLA-B*15:02 and carbamazepine (CBZ) and HLA-B*58:01 and allopurinol], has led to HLA screening being used to prevent SCARs. Screening has been shown to be of great benefit in a number of studies. Clinical translation from bench to bedside, however, depends upon the development of simple, rapid and cost-effective assays to detect these risk alleles. In highly populated developing countries such as Vietnam, where there is a high prevalence of HLA-B*15:02 and HLA-B*58:01 correlating with a high incidence of CBZ- and allopurinol-induced SCARs, the crucial factor in the implementation of comprehensive screening programs to detect these major risk HLA alleles is the availability of suitable assays