Polymorphisms in CYP3A5, CYP3A4, and ABCB1 are Not Associated With Cyclosporine Pharmacokinetics Nor With Cyclosporine Clinical End Points After Renal Transplantation

Background: The association of CYP3A5, CYP3A4, and ABCB1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with cyclosporine (CsA) pharmacokinetics is controversial. The authors studied the influence of these SNPs on CsA pharmacokinetics as well as on the incidence of biopsy-proven acute rejection (BPAR) and renal function after kidney transplantation. Method: One hundred seventy-one patients participating in an international, randomized controlled trial were genotyped for CYP3A5*3, CYP3A4*1B and the ABCB1 1236 C > T, 2677 G > T/A, and 3435 C > T SNPs. The patients were treated with CsA, mycophenolate mofetil, and glucocorticoids. CsA was dosed to reach predose concentrations (C(0)) or two hours postdose concentrations (C(2)). Pharmacokinetic parameters were measured on Days 3 and 10 and Months 1, 3, 6, and 12 after transplantation. Renal function was assessed by measuring serum creatinine and calculating the creatinine clearance. The incidence of BPAR and delayed-graft function was recorded. Results: CYP3A5, CYP3A4, and ABCB1 genotype were not associated with dose-adjusted CsA C(0) or C(2). The incidence of BPAR in this cohort was 16% and was comparable between the different ABCB1 genotype groups. No significant difference in the incidence of BPAR was found between CYP3A5 expressers (10%) and non-expressers (18%) (P = 0.24) nor was there a difference in the incidence of BPAR between CYP3A4*1 homozygotes (5%) versus CYP3A4*1B carriers (18%) (P = 0.13). There were no differences with regard to creatinine clearance between the different CYP3A and ABCB1 genotype groups. Conclusion: According to the results, determination of CYP3A and ABCB1 SNPs pretransplantation is not helpful in determining the CsA starting dose and does not aid in predicting the risk of BPAR or worse renal function in an individual patient.