Autoallergic reactions induced by procainamide

Academic Article

Procainamide has a high propensity for the induction of an autoimmune response. The immune response is highly selective and the autoantibodies so induced are directed against nuclear histones. Acetylator phenotypes play an important role in the immune response, with slow acetylators developing antihistone antibodies much sooner than fast acetylators. In the early detection of drug-induced lupus syndromes, the finding of antihistone antibodies in the absence of other types of antinuclear antibodies greatly aids in establishing the diagnosis.

Scripps VIVO