These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Mycoplasma pneumoniae-associated Stevens-Johnson syndrome exhibits lymphopenia and redistribution of CD4+ T cells.
    Author: Wang L, Hong KC, Lin FC, Yang KD.
    Journal: J Formos Med Assoc; 2003 Jan; 102(1):55-8. PubMed ID: 12684615.
    Abstract:
    Erythema multiforme (EM) is an immune-mediated disease categorized into EM minor and EM major, also called Stevens-Johnson syndrome. The presence of mucosal involvement differentiates erythema multiforme major from erythema multiforme minor. Many drugs and agents can induce Stevens-Johnson syndrome. We report a case of Stevens-Johnson syndrome associated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. Lymphopenia with a significant decrease of CD4+ T cells in the blood and predominant CD4+ T cells in the skin vesicular fluid was found. The improvement of lymphopenia was associated with disease recovery. In a retrospective chart review of patients treated in our hospital over the past 3 years, we found that 5 patients with Stevens-Johnson syndrome all had lymphopenia (< 1.50 x 10(9)/L; average 0.99 x 10(9)/L), whereas 13 other patients with erythema multiforme minor demonstrated normal lymphocyte counts (average 3.13 x 10(9)/L), with the exception of one patient with herpes infection showing lymphopenia. These results suggested that an immunopathogenesis involving redistribution of CD4+ T cells might contribute to the development of Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Further studies to investigate the involvement of CD4+ T cells in Stevens-Johnson syndrome may implicate a specific strategy to prevent fatal Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]