D1 receptor alleles predict PET metabolic correlates of clinical response to clozapine

A goal of pharmacogenetics is to clarify associations between allelic variation and risk factors in psychiatric illness. We report changes in regional brain metabolism based on dopamine alleles. Treatment-resistant schizophrenic subjects were positron emission tomography scanned with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose after 5 weeks each of placebo and clozapine treatment. Significant regional brain metabolic effects were found for the D1 receptor genotypes (P<0.05), adjusted for multiple comparisons. Metabolic decreases for the 2,2 genotype but not the 1,2 genotype were observed in all major sectors of the brain, with the exception of the ventral parts of the caudate and putamen. Frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital neocortices showed decreased metabolism as did the cingulate juxta-allocortex and the parahippocampal allocortex. Decreases were also observed in the thalamus, amygdala, and cerebellum bilaterally. No significant metabolic differences by genotype were observed for D3, 5HT(2A), and 5HT(2C) polymorphisms. In terms of clinical response, the DRD1 2,2 genotype significantly improved with clozapine treatment, demonstrating a 30% decrease in the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale positive symptoms in contrast to a 7% worsening for the 1,2 genotype (P<0.05). In this preliminary study, brain metabolic and clinical response to clozapine are related to the D1 receptor genotype.