BACKGROUND

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a lethal complication of drugs, thus early diagnosis and treatment are important. However, there are no satisfactory clinical biomarkers of TEN.

OBJECTIVES

We investigated miR-124 and miR-214 expressions in serum and skin tissues of severe drug eruptions to evaluate the possibility of biomarkers of TEN.

MATERIALS & METHODS: microRNAs were extracted from serum and skin tissues. Serum samples were obtained from 7 TEN patients, 5 Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) patients, 11 erythema multiforme (EM) minor patients and 21 healthy volunteers. Skin tissues were obtained from 4 TEN patients, 3 SJS patients, 8 EM minor patients, 3 psoriasis and 3 atopic dermatitis patients. Six control skin samples were obtained. MicroRNA concentrations were determined by PCR array and real-time PCR.

RESULTS

The concentrations of miR-124 in sera from TEN were significantly higher than those from healthy controls. In the characteristics curve analysis of serum miR-124 for differentiating TEN patients from normal subjects, the area under curve was 0.94. The serum miR-124 concentration was strongly correlated with the erosion area and the SCORTEN scale. The expression of miR-214 was significantly increased in the skin of TEN.

CONCLUSION

The serum miR-124 concentration can be used as a disease activity marker for severe drug eruptions, reflecting the severity of keratinocyte apoptosis.