Aims  Clopidogrel is prescribed for the prevention of atherothrombotic events. While investigations have identified genetic determinants of inter-individual variability in on-treatment platelet inhibition (e.g. CYP2C19*2), evidence that these variants have clinical utility to predict major adverse cardiovascular events (CVEs) remains controversial. Methods and results  We assessed the impact of 31 candidate gene polymorphisms on adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-stimulated platelet reactivity in 3391 clopidogrel-treated coronary artery disease patients of the International Clopidogrel Pharmacogenomics Consortium (ICPC). The influence of these polymorphisms on CVEs was tested in 2134 ICPC patients (N = 129 events) in whom clinical event data were available. Several variants were associated with on-treatment ADP-stimulated platelet reactivity (CYP2C19*2, P = 8.8 × 10−54; CES1 G143E, P = 1.3 × 10−16; CYP2C19*17, P = 9.5 × 10−10; CYP2B6 1294 + 53 C > T, P = 3.0 × 10−4; CYP2B6 516 G > T, P = 1.0 × 10−3; CYP2C9*2, P = 1.2 × 10−3; and CYP2C9*3, P = 1.5 × 10−3). While no individual variant was associated with CVEs, generation of a pharmacogenomic polygenic response score (PgxRS) revealed that patients who carried a greater number of alleles that associated with increased on-treatment platelet reactivity were more likely to experience CVEs (β = 0.17, SE 0.06, P = 0.01) and cardiovascular-related death (β = 0.43, SE 0.16, P = 0.007). Patients who carried eight or more risk alleles were significantly more likely to experience CVEs [odds ratio (OR) = 1.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14–2.76, P = 0.01] and cardiovascular death (OR = 4.39, 95% CI 1.35–14.27, P = 0.01) compared to patients who carried six or fewer of these alleles. Conclusion  Several polymorphisms impact clopidogrel response and PgxRS is a predictor of cardiovascular outcomes. Additional investigations that identify novel determinants of clopidogrel response and validating polygenic models may facilitate future precision medicine strategies.

The Multiplate, a whole blood (WB) platelet function test, has shown promising results identifying patients on antiplatelet therapy at increased risk of rethrombosis. In the present study, the influence of low platelet count on platelet aggregation was analyzed and compared with aggregation results in an artificial matrix, platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Heparinized and citrated blood was diluted with autologous plasma to platelet concentrations 200 to 25 × 10(9)/L in WB samples (n = 10) and 200 to 100 × 10(9)/L in PRP samples (n = 7). The platelet aggregation was investigated by the ADP-, ASPI-, COL-, and TRAP-test. The WB responses decreased at platelet concentration of ≤100 × 10(9)/L (all P < .03), except for heparin-TRAP (50 × 10(9)/L, P = .008) and citrate-ASPI (150 × 10(9)/L, P = .03). In general, WB samples demonstrated higher aggregation than PRP samples at platelet concentrations 200 to 100 × 10(9)/L (P < .05). In conclusion, platelet concentration of <150 × 10(9)/L may influence Multiplate which should be considered in clinical settings. Furthermore, the findings emphasize the importance of evaluating haemostasis in its natural matrix, WB.

Antiplatelet response to clopidogrel shows wide variation, and poor response is correlated with adverse clinical outcomes. CYP2C19 loss-of-function alleles play an important role in this response, but account for only a small proportion of variability in response to clopidogrel. An aim of the International Clopidogrel Pharmacogenomics Consortium (ICPC) is to identify other genetic determinants of clopidogrel pharmacodynamics and clinical response. A genomewide association study (GWAS) was performed using DNA from 2,750 European ancestry individuals, using