Many undesired side effects or therapeutic failures of drugs are the result of differences or changes in drug metabolism, primarily depending on the levels and activities of cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes. To assess whether P450 expression profiles can reflect hepatic drug metabolism, we compared P450 mRNA levels in the liver or peripheral leukocytes with the corresponding hepatic P450 activities. A preliminary P450 genotyping for the most frequent polymorphisms in white populations (CYP2C9*2, CYP2C9*3, CYP2C19*2, CYP2C19*3, CYP2D6*3, CYP2D6*4, CYP2D6*6, and CYP3A5*3) was carried out before P450 phenotyping, excluding the donors with nonfunctional alleles of CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP2D6 and those with a functional CYP3A5*1 allele from a correlation analysis. The hepatic mRNA levels of CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4 displayed a strong association with P450 activities in the liver, whereas the expression of CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4 in leukocytes was proven to reflect the hepatic activities of these P450 species. The leukocytes were found to be inappropriate cells for the assessment of hepatic CYP2B6 and CYP2D6 activities. Combining the results of P450 genotyping and phenotyping analyses, patients' drug-metabolizing capacities can be estimated by the P450 expression in the liver and in leukocytes with some limitations. Patients' genetic and nongenetic variations in P450 status can guide the appropriate selection of drugs and the optimal dose, minimizing the risk of harmful side effects and ensuring a successful outcome of drug therapy.

Aims Inter‐individual variability in dose requirements of calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) has been linked to genetic polymorphisms of CYP3A enzymes. CYP3A5*3, CYP3A4*1B and CYP3A4*22 alleles of liver grafts may explain about one third of the inter‐individual differences in pharmacokinetics of ciclosporin and tacrolimus in recipients. However, non‐genetic factors, influencing CYP3A expression, can contribute to the variability of CYP3A function due to phenoconversion. The present study evaluated the association between CYP3A4 expression combined with CYP3A5 genotype of donor livers and recipients' CNI therapy after transplantation. Methods The contribution of donors' CYP3A5 genotype and CYP3A4 expression to the blood concentrations and dose requirements of CNIs was evaluated in 131 liver transplant recipients. Results The recipients with grafts from normal CYP3A4 expresser donors carrying CYP3A5*3/*3 required CNI maintenance doses more or less similar to the bodyweight‐controlled starting doses (9.1 mg kg−1 of ciclosporin and 0.1 mg kg−1 of tacrolimus). The patients transplanted with grafts from low CYP3A4 expressers required substantial reduction (by about 50%, 4.2 mg kg−1 of ciclosporin, 0.047 mg kg−1 of tacrolimus, P < 0.001), while the recipients with grafts from high expressers or with grafts carrying at least one copy of the functional CYP3A5*1 allele required an increase (by about 50% [12.8–13.8 mg kg−1] for ciclosporin and 100% [0.21 mg kg−1] for tacrolimus, P < 0.001) of the initial CNI dose for achieving target blood concentrations. Conclusions Donor livers' CYP3A‐status, taking both CYP3A5 allelic variations and CYP3A4 expression into account, can better identify the risk of CNI over‐ or underexposure, and may contribute to the avoidance of misdosing‐induced graft injury in the early post‐operative period.

Background End-stage renal disease is an irreversible status of kidney dysfunction that reduces both renal and non-renal drug clearance. Accumulation of uremic toxins seems to modify the activities of drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. The aim of the present work was to refine gene expression analysis for efficient and accurate quantification of CYP mRNAs in patients’ leukocytes. Methods We compared six liquid–liquid extraction reagents for RNA isolation and five reverse transcriptase kits for RNA-to-cDNA conversion, and developed quantitative polymerase chain reaction methods for duplex measurements of CYP target genes and the reference gene. The expression of CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 in patients with end-stage kidney disease (N = 105) and in organ donors with healthy kidney function (N = 110) was compared. Results Regarding the RNA yield and purity, TRIzol, Trizolate and TRI reagents were equal; however, TRI reagent was the most advantageous in terms of financial cost. Reverse transcription using Maxima First Strand cDNA Synthesis kit appeared to be the most efficient with the widest range for quantification of the target transcript. The refined method with the detection of various CYPs and the reference gene in duplex PCR efficiently quantified even the low-level CYP expression. In leukocytes of patients with end-stage renal disease, all four CYPs were expressed at significantly lower level than in organ donors with normal kidney function (p < 0.0001). Conclusions Reduced CYP expression was a direct evidence of transcriptional down-regulation of CYP genes in patients with impaired kidney function.

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Hungary Highlights• CYP2D6 genotype-based phenotype estimation is of particular importance to personalized medication strategy.• The non-sequencing genotyping platform identified the most frequent CYP2D6 allelic variants (in 67% of the donors).• The gain-of-function mutation (-1584C>G) could explain the underestimation of CYP2D6 genotype-based prediction.• Some rare loss-of-function mutations that were not captured, could result in overestimation of CYP2D6 activity prediction.• CYP2D6 phenotype overestimation may also come from external factors modifying CYP2D6 activity or altering hepatic function.• A comprehensive genotyping and consideration of phenoconversion can improve the genotype-based CYP2D6 phenotype prediction. 2 AbstractGenetic polymorphism of cytochrome P450s results in clinically significant modifications in patients' drug metabolizing capacities. CYP2D6 has a crucial role in the elimination of several clinically important drugs (antiarrhythmics, beta-adrenergic blockers, psychopharmacons and analgesics); however, the prediction of the phenotypic appearance of CYP2D6 is a challenge. Since single nucleotide polymorphisms and gene copy number variations (gene deletion and multiplication) frequently occur in CYP2D6 gene, CYP2D6 activity particularly depends on the genetic factors.Microsomal CYP2D6 activities (dextromethorphan O-demethylation) and CYP2D6 genotypes for the most frequent allelic variants (CYP2D6*3, *4, *5, *6, *10, *41 and duplication) were determined in 128 human liver samples derived from Hungarian organ donors. Substantial inter-individual variations were observed in CYP2D6 metabolic activities that were successfully predicted from the CYP2D6 genotypes in 67% of the donors. The underestimation of CYP2D6 phenotypes in 12.5% of the donors was assumed to be originated from the overlapping ranges of CYP2D6 activity among similar diplotypes or from the presence of -1584C>G in the promoter region evoking increased transcription of the wild-type CYP2D6 allele. In an appreciable number of donors (20.3%), the genotype-based CYP2D6 phenotype prediction was overestimated because of the rare CYP2D6 allelic variants which were not included in our genotyping platform or some external factors that could alter CYP2D6 activity (medication with CYP2D6 substrate/inhibitor) and hepatic function (Augmentin therapy, chronic alcohol consumption).In conclusion, CYP2D6 genotyping for the most frequent allelic variants was able to reliably predict CYP2D6 phenotypes in most donors; however, the external factors modifying the phenotypic appearance of CYP2D6 had to be taken into account. Personalized medication strategy should include monitoring of CYP2D6 genotype in a more comprehensive manner 3 and should take external factors into consideration for an appropriate prediction of CYP2D6 metabolizing capacity.