Polymorphisms in the VKORC1 gene are strongly associated with warfarin dosage requirements in patients receiving anticoagulation.
BACKGROUND
Warfarin is a mainstay of therapy for conditions associated with an increased risk of thromboembolic events. However, the use of this common agent is fraught with complications and little is known regarding inter-individual variation in warfarin response.


OBJECTIVE
We tested for association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in VKORC1 and CYP2C9 and average weekly warfarin dose required to maintain patients at their desired anticoagulation target.


METHODS
The sample consisted of 93 European-American patients from anticoagulation clinics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Data on mean weekly warfarin dose were collected over a mean treatment period of 20.6 months. ANCOVA models were used and haplotype analysis was performed.


RESULTS
Three of six VKORC1 SNPs were found to be very strongly associated with the average warfarin dose required to achieve the target international normalised ratio (INR; p<0.0001). The mean weekly dose by genotype ranged from approximately 27 to 47 mg. There was no evidence for an association between either of the two CYP2C9 polymorphisms studied, CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3. CYP2C9*3 was significantly (p = 0.05) associated with average warfarin dosage after adjustment for VKORC1*1173.


CONCLUSIONS
These results are of considerable clinical interest and confirm recently published results regarding the role of these two genes in modifying warfarin metabolism and maintenance dosage. The consistent findings regarding the role of VKORC1 and CYP2C9 in warfarin metabolism and maintenance dosage represent a clinically useful proof of principal for the use of pharmacogenomic information in medicine and may lead to improved understanding of warfarin's actions.
Li
T
T
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Lange
L A
LA
Li
X
X
Susswein
L
L
Bryant
B
B
Malone
R
R
Lange
E M
EM
Huang
T-Y
TY
Stafford
D W
DW
Evans
J P
JP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001189:Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases / Q000235:genetics; D065729:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C9; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D019934:International Normalized Ratio; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D064417:Vitamin K Epoxide Reductases; D014859:Warfarin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D044465:White People
D000925:Anticoagulants; D014859:Warfarin; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; C450260:CYP2C9 protein, human; D065729:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C9; D001189:Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases; C578523:VKORC1 protein, human; D064417:Vitamin K Epoxide Reductases