Drug Hypersensitivity: From Mechanisms to Improved Diagnosis and Standards of Care

Background: Adverse drugs reactions are defined by the World Health Organization as any noxious, unintended and undesired effect of a drug that occurs at doses used for prevention, diagnosis or treatment. They constitute an important public health issue, causing 3-6% of hospital admissions and occurring in 10-15% of hospitalized patients. Drug hypersensitivity reactions (DHR) represent a subset of unpredictable adverse drug reactions that lead to objectively reproducible symptoms that initiate after the exposure to a drug at doses normally tolerated by non-hypersensitive subjects. These reactions can be immunologically mediated (mainly by specific IgE antibodies or T cells), which are called allergic reactions; or non-immunologically mediated, also known as nonallergic hypersensitivity reactions, which comprise most reactions induced by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. However, the pharmacology and underlying mechanisms of DHR are not completely understood, and this can often hamper their diagnosis. Moreover, as new drugs are being continuously introduced into the market, new types of reactions are described.

Goal: The epidemiology of DHR is not well established, in part due to the heterogeneity among studies in terms of patient selection, introduction of new drugs into the market, and diagnostic criteria used. The diagnosis and management of these reactions is complex as a result of the lack of knowledge about the underlying mechanisms, chemistry or pharmacology of the drugs, variety of symptoms, and heterogeneity among diagnostic protocols. An update on the pharmacology of drugs, classifications and mechanisms, as well as the development of new tools and protocols to improve diagnosis and management of DHR is essential.

Scope: In this Research Topic, we want to include articles focused on new knowledge about all aspects related to DHR, taking into account the needs of readers who wish to keep abreast of the latest developments regarding DHR, especially epidemiology, pathogenic mechanisms, pharmacology of the drugs, pharmacogenomics, diagnosis, and management.

Details for Authors: We welcome Original Research, Brief Research Report, Review, Mini-Review, Hypothesis and Theory, Perspective, and Case Report articles that highlight the following research areas: classifications, epidemiology of the reactions, diagnostic algorithms, new diagnostic tools, insights into mechanisms, new therapies and management protocols, and other areas related to the field.