Detection of HLA‐B*58:01, the susceptible allele for allopurinol‐induced hypersensitivity, by loop‐mediated isothermal amplification

Summary Background  Allopurinol, a common medication for gout treatment, can cause rare but life‐threatening severe cutaneous adverse reactions. A strong pharmacogenetic association of human leucocyte antigen (HLA)‐B*58:01 with allopurinol‐induced drug hypersensitivity has been reported, especially in the Han Chinese population. Objectives  To develop a rapid and simple loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay of HLA‐B*58:01 and evaluate its feasibility in predicting allopurinol‐induced drug hypersensitivity. Methods  Two sets of LAMP primers targeting exons 2 and 3 of HLA‐B*58:01 were designed. DNA extracted from 20 clinical blood samples of patients with gout was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the two LAMP primer sets for the detection of HLA‐B*58:01. Results  The results were compared with routine clinical genotyping methods. All extracted DNA samples tested with the HLA‐B*58:01 LAMP assay showed agreement with the routine genotyping results. No amplifications were observed when unextracted blood samples were tested. Conclusions  The HLA‐B*58:01 LAMP assay was confirmed to be simple, rapid and specific for the detection of HLA‐B*58:01, and therefore of potential value in the diagnosis of allopurinol‐induced hypersensitivity.