and gene variants affecting clopidogrel metabolism in a South Asian population from Sri Lanka.

AIMS

Clopidogrel exhibits substantial variability in therapeutic response, largely contributed by genetic factors. The pharmacogenomic variants data on clopidogrel metabolism in South Asians have been sparsely studied. This study explores the impact of and gene variants on clopidogrel metabolism in Sri Lankans, revealing significant pharmacogenomic insights with broader implications for South Asians.

MATERIALS & METHODS: Genotype data were filtered out from an anonymized database of 690 Sri Lankans, and minor allele frequencies (MAFs) were calculated. Five variants of and one variant of gene were studied.

RESULTS

Among the five variants studied, rs12769205 (A>G) and rs4244285 (G>A) had the highest MAF of 42.1% and 42.0%, respectively. The variant rs71647871 (C>T) showed a MAF of 0.2%. Sri Lankans exhibited significantly higher MAFs for key variants compared to populations such as Europeans, African Americans, and East Asians ( < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Given that South Asians share genetic similarities, these findings suggest that a substantial proportion of the region's population may also be poor responders to clopidogrel, increasing the risk of adverse outcomes. This highlights the importance of genotype-guided antiplatelet therapy, which could improve clinical outcomes across South Asia amidst rising cardiovascular disease rates.