Pharmacogenetics

Definition

Pharmacogenetics is one of the newest subspecialties of genetics that deals with the relationship between inherited genes and the ability of the body to metabolize drugs.

Description

Medicine today relies on the use of therapeutic drugs to treat disease, but one of the longstanding problems has been the documented variation in patient response to drug therapy. The "recommended" dosage is usually established at a level shown to be effective in 50% of a test population, and based on the patient's initial response, the dosage may be increased, decreased, or discontinued. In rare situations, the patient may experience an adverse reaction to the drug and be shown to have a pharmacogenetic disorder. The unique feature of this group of diseases is that the problem does not occur until after the drug is given, so a person may have a pharmacogenetic defect and never know it if the specific drug required to trigger the reaction is never administered.

Adverse reactions

Consider the case of a 35-year-old male who is scheduled for surgical repair of a hernia. The patient is otherwise in excellent health and has no family history of any serious medical problems. After entering the operating theater, an inhalation anesthetic and/or muscle relaxant is administered to render the patient unconscious. Unexpectedly, there is a significant increase in body temperature, and the patient experiences sustained muscle contraction. If this condition is not reversed promptly, it can lead to death. Anesthesiologists are now very familiar with this type of reaction. It occurs only rarely, but it uniquely identifies the patient as having malignant hyperthermia, a rare autosomal dominant disorder that affects the body's ability to respond normally to anesthetics. Once diagnosed with malignant hyperthermia, it is quite easy to avoid future episodes by simply using a different type of anesthetic when surgery is necessary, but it often takes one negative, and potentially life-threatening, experience to know the condition exists.

An incident that occurred in the 1950s further shows the diversity of pharmacogenetic disorders. During the Korean War, service personnel were deployed in a region of the world where they were at increased risk for malaria. To reduce the likelihood of acquiring that disease, the antimalarial drug primaquine was administered prophylactically. Shortly thereafter, approximately 10% of the African-American servicemen were diagnosed with acute anemia and a smaller percentage of soldiers of Mediterranean ancestry showed a more severe hemolytic anemia. Investigation revealed that the affected individuals had a mutation in the glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) gene. Functional G6PD is important in the maintenance of a balance between oxidized and reduced molecules in the cells, and, under normal circumstances, a mutation that eliminates the normal enzyme function can be compensated for by other cellular processes. However, mutation carriers are compromised when their cells are stressed, such as when the primaquine is administered. The system becomes over-loaded, and the result is oxidative damage of the red blood cells and anemia. Clearly, both the medics who administered the primaquine and the men who took the drug were unaware of the potential consequences. Fortunately, once the drug treatment was discontinued, the individuals recovered.

Content licensed from:

Author Info: Constance K. Stein PhD, The Gale Group Inc., Gale, Detroit, Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders Part I, 2002

This feature is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the care and information received from your healthcare provider. Please consult a healthcare professional with any health concerns you may have.