Association of the CYP2B6 c.516G>T polymorphism with high blood propofol concentrations in women from northern Greece.

Cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6) is responsible for the initial biotransformation of profol, an extensively metabolized intravenous anesthetic. In this study we examined the effect of the apparently functional CYP2B6 c.516G>T polymorphism on the distribution of propofol concentrations, quantified by GC/MS analysis following a single bolus dose, in the blood of 44 Greek women undergoing oocyte retrieval. Univariate analysis using age, height, weight and smoking status as covariates, as well as the Mann-Whitney non-parametric test, revealed a strong trend of association of the T allele with high propofol concentrations determined in whole blood, shortly after a single bolus dose. Propofol concentrations which were higher than one standard deviation of the mean were almost invariably associated with carriage of the T allele.