Increased expression of human herpes virus 6 receptor CD134/OX40 in skin lesions of patients with drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome/drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms

CD134/OX40, a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, is a cell-specific receptor for human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) variant B. Patients with drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS)/drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) present a significant increase in CD134 expression in peripheral blood CD4(+) T cells. We aimed to investigate the frequency of CD134(+) CD4 T cells infiltrating skin lesions in patients with DIHS/DRESS and its association with disease severity. We retrospectively included 21 patients with DIHS/DRESS and 11 patients with erythema multiforme (EM). By immunohistochemistry, the frequency of CD134(+) CD4 T cells in DIHS was significantly higher than that in EM (p = 0.0083). The DIHS/DRESS severity score was significantly correlated with the frequency of CD134(+) CD4 T cells (p = 0.0272); moreover, there was a significant difference between severe and mild/moderate cases. Double immunofluorescence staining revealed that numerous cells presented CD134/CD4 and CD134/Foxp3 overlap in patients with DIHS/DRESS. These data suggest increased susceptibility to HHV-6 infection at localized skin sites. HHV-6 may be involved in the mechanism underlying the progression and pathophysiology of DIHS/DRESS.

Automated summary

This study found that the frequency of CD134(+) CD4 T cells in skin lesions of patients with drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS)/drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) was significantly increased and correlated with disease severity. These findings suggest that human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) may be involved in the progression and pathophysiology of DIHS/DRESS.