APOPTOSIS AS A MECHANISM OF KERATINOCYTE DEATH IN TOXIC EPIDERMAL NECROLYSIS

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) ar e life-threatening diseases characterized by extensive epidermal destr uction. The aim of our study was to investigate apoptosis in keratinoc ytes of patients with TEN and TEN/SJS overlap syndrome. Keratinocytes from TEN patients were found to undergo extensive apoptosis. These res ults suggest that cell destruction in TEN occurs as a result of apopto sis, Our findings suggest that apoptosis inhibitory agents may play an important part in the therapeutic strategy of TEN.