Feng, Xiaodong_ Xie, Hong-Guang - Applying pharmacogenomics in therapeutics-CRC Press (2016)
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Drug Therapy of Cardiovascular Diseases
189
Clinical Application
A number of large randomized controlled trials have demonstrated significant reductions
in coronary events and stroke with statin therapy for both primary and secondary
prevention of CVD. 33
β-BLOCKERS
Beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists (β-blockers) are an important class of cardiovascular
drugs used for a range of conditions including cardiac arrhythmias, ACS,
stable angina, hypertension, and heart failure. β-Blockers antagonize endogenous
catecholamines at β-adrenergic receptors, of which two subtypes, β1 and β2, are
most important for cardiovascular pharmacology. 34 Important autoregulatory mechanisms
include G-protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs); enzymes that moderate
signaling through phosphorylation of activated β-receptors; and presynaptic α2Cadrenergic
receptors (ADRA2C), which regulate norepinephrine release via a negative
feedback pathway. 35
Two of the most commonly used β-blockers in heart failure, metoprolol and
carvedilol, both undergo substantial metabolism by the highly polymorphic
CYP2D6 enzyme, whose gene contains loss of function, deletion, and duplication
polymorphisms. The pharmacokinetics of these drugs is affected based on CYP2D6
genotype; however, there is less evidence for differences in efficacy or side effects. 36
There are also a number of studies suggesting functional polymorphisms in
adrenergic receptor signaling genes are associated with differential response to
β-blockers, particularly in hypertension and heart failure. The genes with the strongest
data are ADRB1, ADRA2C, GRK5, and GRK43. 37 These data suggest differential
responses to β-blockers by genotype that includes blood pressure response,
improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and survival differences in
hypertension and heart failure.
A large prospective randomized pharmacogenomics trial PEAR (Pharmacogenomic
Evaluation of Antihypertensive Responses) used genome-wide association studies
(GWASs) genotyping to determine the relationship between genetic polymorphisms
and antihypertensive medications. Atenolol, hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) as well as a
combination of the two were studied. It was found that participants who had the T/T
and T/C genotypes of the intergenic SNP rs1458038 near FGF5 had a better response
to atenolol compared to those who had the C/C genotype. The study concluded that
white Caucasian hypertensive individuals with the risk allele for HTN(T) might have a
better response to atenolol compared to HCTZ. This gene might be used in the future
as a marker for high sympathetic nervous system and renin–angiotensin activity. 38,39
Clinical Application
Even though the pharmacogenetic data for β-blockers have not yet been significant to
warrant clinical utility, they are the next closest examples among the cardiovascular
drugs that solidify clinical application of pharmacogenomics. Currently, investigations
are looking at the benefits of β-blocker therapy for some subjects with heart failure.