Background
Clopidogrel is recommended after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) but has variable efficacy and safety, in part related to the effect of cytochrome P450 (CYP) polymorphisms on its metabolism. The effect of CYP polymorphisms on cardiovascular events among clopidogrel-treated patients after AMI remains controversial, and no studies to date have investigated the association of CYP variants with outcomes in African American patients.
Methods and Results
2732 subjects (2062 Caucasians; 670 African Americans) hospitalized with AMI enrolled in the prospective, multicenter TRIUMPH study were genotyped for CYP polymorphisms. The majority of Caucasians (79%) and African Americans (64.4%) were discharged on clopidogrel. Among Caucasians, carriers of the loss-of-function CYP2C19*2 allele had significantly increased 1-year mortality (adjusted HR: 1.70; CI: 1.01 to 2.86; p=0.046), and a trend toward increased rate of recurrent MI (adjusted HR: 2.10; CI 0.95 to 4.63; p= 0.066). Among African Americans, increased 1-year mortality was associated with the gain of function CYP2C19*17 allele (adjusted HR for *1/*17 vs. *1/*1: 2.02; CI: 0.92 to 4.44; *17/*17 vs. *1/*1: 8.97; CI: 3.34 to 24.10; p< 0.0001) and the CYP1A2*1C allele (adjusted HR for *1/*1C vs. *1/*1: 1.89; CI: 0.85 to 4.22; *1C/*1C vs. *1/*1: 4.96; CI: 1.69 to 14.56; p= 0.014). Bleeding events were significantly more common among African American carriers of CYP2C19*17 or CYP1A2*1C.
Conclusions
Both loss of function and gain of function CYP polymorphisms affecting clopidogrel metabolism are associated with increased mortality among clopidogrel treated patients following AMI; the specific polymorphism and the putative mechanism vary according to race.