Variation in blood clotting gene alters response to warfarin
Variations in a gene involved in blood clotting appear to play a key role in a patient’s response to warfarin and may be a useful dose predictor, new research suggests.
Scientists in the US examined the genetic make up of 186 patients who
had been stabilised on warfarin therapy, focusing on a gene encoding
for vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1 (VKORC1).
By matching genetic variations to actual warfarin doses the scientists
observed that people with a particular variation generally took similar
doses of warfarin. Variations in the VKORC1 gene could be matched to
three groups: patients taking low warfarin doses, intermediate doses
or high doses.
“We found that 25 per cent of the [overall] variance in warfarin
dose is due to this one gene,” said Allan Rettie, of the University
of Washington, Seattle, and one of the study authors. “This is
possibly the single biggest contributor to variability in people’s
responses to the drug and could be a central factor in setting the initial
dose.”
The study is published in The New England Journal of Medicine (2005;352:2285). |
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