Deciphering the Immunopathogenesis of Reactive Infectious Mucocutaneous Eruptions
University of California, San Diego
Overview:
Reactive Infectious Mucocutaneous Eruption, or RIME, is a disease that causes painful blisters on the eyes, mouth and genital area. It typically affects children and adolescents. RIME patients go to the hospital because it’s too painful to eat, and need to get IV fluids. RIME can also cause scarring of the eyes, mouth and genitals. RIME typically occurs about 1 week after a viral or bacterial infection, with a common trigger being a bacteria called mycoplasma pneumoniae, which causes walking pneumonia. Since RIME is an inflammatory disease, patients are sometimes treated with steroids or cytokine blocking therapies. Not all patients respond to standard treatment. The goal of our study is to use transcriptomic and cytokine measuring methods on patient blood and blister samples to better understand the cytokines that cause RIME. A better understanding of RIME will allow us to use newer medications that will allow us to stop the disease early and before painful blistering occurs.
Status:
This was funded through a 2025 PeDRA Research Grant.