Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the value of prospective HLA-B*13:01 screening for reduction of the incidence of dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome (DHS). Methods: A prospective cohort study in the patients with newly diagnosed leprosy was conducted in Guangxi Province. The patients with HLA-B*13:01-positive were treated with alternative treatment without dapsone and those with negative HLA-B*13:01 gene were treated with WHO standard combination chemotherapy regimen. All patients were followed up for 8 weeks. The occurrence rate of DHS in those patients was compared with historical occurrence rate. Results: From July 1, 2015 to December 31, 2018, 126 patients underwent genotyping, of those 36 were HLA-B*13:01-positive (28.6 %), 90 were HLA-B*13:01-negitive. No DHS was occurred in all patients. From January 1, 2012 to June 31, 2015, the historical incidence rate of DHS was 4.4% in 180 individuals. There was a statistically significant difference in the incidence rate of DHS between the two groups (P=0.042). Conclusion: The frequency prospective screening of HLA-B*13:01 can  significantly reduce the occurrence of DHS in the patients with leprosy in Guangxi Province. 

Key words: leprosy, dapsone, dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome, HLA-B*13:01