Relationship between proguanil metabolic ratio and CYP2C19 genotype in a Caucasian population.

AIMS

To investigate the relationship between proguanil metabolic ratio (MR, proguanil/cycloguanil) and CYP2C19 genotype in a Caucasian population.

METHODS

Ninety-nine Caucasians (age range: 18-55 years, 54 female, 45 male) were genotyped for CYP2C19 and phenotyped for proguanil oxidation by collecting urine for 8 h after taking 100 mg proguanil hydrochloride. Proguanil and cycloguanil concentrations were measured by h.p.l.c. PCR was employed for CYP2C19 genotyping.

RESULTS

The three (3%) individuals who were homozygous for CYP2C19*2 (*2/*2) had the highest proguanil MRs (range: 8.0-134.6). Seventy-three (74%) individuals were homozygous for the wild-type allele (*1/*1) and 23 (23%) were heterozygous (*1/*2). The *1/*1 individuals had lower MRs (median=1.4, range: 0.23-5.9, P=0.003, Mann-Whitney U-test) than the *1/*2 subjects (median=2.5, range: 0.88-7.3).

CONCLUSIONS

A CYP2C19 gene-dose effect for proguanil oxidation to cycloguanil was observed, confirming a role for CYP2C19 in cycloguanil formation in vivo. However, there was substantial overlap of proguanil MRs in subjects of different CYP2C19 genotypes, due possibly to variability in the activity of other enzymes contributing to the formation of cycloguanil.