Glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms in patients with photosensitive and non-photosensitive drug eruptions.

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) play a critical role in cellular protection against oxidative damage. Polymorphisms in three major GST loci have been described. A number of studies have looked for an association between GSTs and skin diseases.To ascertain the possibility that polymorphisms in the GSTM1, GSTT1, and GSTP1 genes may predict the development of photo-induced and non-photo-induced drug eruptions.A cohort of 40 patients with drug eruptions, 10 of whom had developed a photo-induced drug reaction, and matched controls (116 for GSTM1 and GSTT1, 120 for GSTP1) were studied. Genotyping was conducted using direct sequencing and polymerase chain reaction.The GSTP1 Val/Val genotype was significantly associated with non-photosensitive drug eruptions (OR = 3.64, P value = 0.038), whereas associations observed between GSTP1, GSTM1, GSTT1 polymorphisms and photosensitive drug eruptions did not reach statistical significance.Variations in GSTP1 may affect the risk to develop non-photo-induced drug eruptions. These results warrant confirmatory studies in a larger patient sample.