No abstract

Background: There are 3 classes of HLA molecules; HLA class I, II and III, of which different classes have different functions. HLA-B gene which belongs to HLA class I play an important role predicting drug hypersensitivity.Materials and Methods: Nine hundred and eighty-six Thai subjects who registered at a pharmacogenomics laboratory were determined for HLA-B genotype using a two-stage sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe system (PCR-SSOP).Results: In this study, HLA-B alleles did not deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P > 0.05). The most common HLA-B alleles observed in this population were HLA-B*46:01 (11.51%), HLA-B*58:01 (8.62%), HLA-B*40:01 (8.22%), HLA-B*15:02 (8.16%) and HLA-B*13:01 (6.95%). This finding revealed that HLA-B allele frequency in the Thai population was consistent with the Chinese population (p > 0.05), however, differed from the Malaysian population (p < 0.05). The top five HLA-B genotypes were HLA-B*40:01/46:01 (2.13%), HLA-B*46:01/46:01 (2.03%), HLA-B*40:01/58:01 (2.03%), HLA-B*46:01/58:01 (1.93%) and HLA-B*15:02/46:01 (1.83%). This study found that 15.92% of Thai subjects carry HLA-B*15:02, which has been associated with carbamazepine-induced severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (SCARs). Moreover, 16.33% of Thai subjects carry the HLA-B*58:01 allele, which has been associated with allopurinol-induced SCARs.Conclusion: This study demonstrates a high diversity of HLA-B polymorphisms in this Thai population. The high frequency of HLA-B pharmacogenomic markers in the population emphasizes the importance of such screening to predict/avoid drug hypersensitivity.

Genetic variation in the cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) gene has been documented gradually as the determinant conversion and variability in the antiplatelet effect of clopidogrel. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of clinically relevant allele variants (CYP2C19*2, CYP2C19*3, and CYP2C19*17) in a Thai study population, and finally determine whether the allele distributes and predicts metabolic phenotypes in clopidogrel treated patients. A total of 1,051 Thai patients participated in this study. Genotypes for CYP2C19 polymorphisms were detected by the microarray-based technique. Furthermore, results of genotyping and platelet aggregation in 96 cardiovascular disease patients on 75 mg clopidogrel maintenance daily dose therapy also were analyzed. Among 1,051 samples, the allele frequencies of CYP2C19 *1/*1, *1/*2, *1/*3, *2/*2, *2/*3, and *1/*17 were found in 428 (40.72%), 369 (35.10%), 72 (6.85%), 77 (7.32%), 59 (5.61%), and 45 (4.30%) of the patients, respectively. Homozygous CYP2C19 *3/*3 was found in one patient (0.10%). Therefore, 40.72% of the patients were predicted as extensive metabolizers, 41.95% as intermediate metabolizers, 13.03% as poor metabolizers, and 4.30% as ultra-rapid metabolizers. Among 96 patients, the frequency of poor metabolizers was significantly higher in the clopidogrel non-responder group than in the responder group (36.0% and 15.5%, respectively, P = 0.03). CYP2C19*1/*17 was observed in responders (n = 2; 2.8%). As a result, CYP2C19 variants were associated with clopidogrel non-responders. However, there is a need for further elucidation of the clinical importance and use of this finding to make firm and cost-effective recommendations for drug treatment in the future.

Prior knowledge of allele frequencies of cytochrome P450 polymorphisms in a population is crucial for the revision and optimization of existing medication choices and doses. In the current study, the frequency of the CYP2C9*2, CYP2C9*3, CYP2C19*2, CYP2C19*3, CYP2C19*6, CYP2C19*17, and CYP3A4 (rs4646437) alleles in a Thai population across different regions of Thailand was examined. Tests for polymorphisms of CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 were performed using TaqMan SNP genotyping assay and CYP2C19 was performed using two different methods; TaqMan SNP genotyping assay and Luminex x Tag V3. The blood samples were collected from 1205 unrelated healthy individuals across different regions within Thailand. Polymorphisms of CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 were transformed into phenotypes, which included normal metabolizer (NM), intermediate metabolizer (IM), poor metabolizer (PM), and rapid metabolizers (RM). The CYP2C9 allele frequencies among the Thai population were 0.08% and 5.27% for the CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3 alleles, respectively. The CYP2C19 allele frequencies among the Thai population were 25.60%, 2.50%, 0.10%, and 1.80% for the CYP2C19*2, CYP2C19*3, CYP2C19*6, and CYP2C19*17 alleles, respectively. The allele frequency of the CYP3A4 (rs4646437) variant allele was 28.50% in the Thai population. The frequency of the CYP2C9*3 allele was significantly lower among the Northern Thai population (P < 0.001). The frequency of the CYP2C19*17 allele was significantly higher in the Southern Thai population (P < 0.001). Our results may provide an understanding of the ethnic differences in drug responses and support for the utilization of pharmacogenomics testing in clinical practice.