Genetic variant of the histamine-1 receptor (glu349asp) and body weight change during clozapine treatment.

Clozapine treatment frequently causes body weight gain that may impair health and may affect patient compliance. While the histamine-1 (H1) receptor may play a major role in the mechanism of the clozapine-induced body weight change, we tested the relationship between the genetic variant (Glu349Asp) of the H1 receptor and the clozapine-induced body weight change. Eighty-eight schizophrenic patients treated with clozapine were included in this study. Analysis of body weight change after 4 months of clozapine treatment showed no relationship with the H1 genotype. Further exploration of the other H1 genotypes and the antipsychotic-induced body weight change may help in the understanding of the mechanisms of antipsychotic-induced body weight gain and in the choice of patient's antipsychotic regimens. Copyright 2002 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins