CYP2D6 polymorphisms in patients with porphyrias.

The cytochrome P-450 (CYP) isoenzymes, a superfamily of heme proteins which are the terminal oxidases of the mixed function oxidases system, metabolize more than 70% of all clinically approved drugs. The highly polymorphic CYP2D6 isoform metabolizes more than 25% of most common drugs, and the phenotypes of the 70-plus allelic variants range from compromised to excessive enzymatic activity. Porphyrias are a group of inherited or acquired metabolic disorders of heme biosynthesis, due to a specific decrease in the activity of one of the enzymes of the heme pathway. Clinical signs and symptoms of porphyrias are frequently associated with exposure to precipitating agents, including clinically approved drugs. CYP enzymes, including CYP2D6, participate in the metabolism of some porphyrinogenic drugs, leading to the deregulation of heme biosynthesis. Considering that some of the drugs not recommended for use in porphyric patients are metabolized by CYP2D6, the presence of CYP2D6 polymorphisms in porphyric patients would influence the triggering of the disease when these individuals receive a precipitating agent that is metabolized by CYP2D6. To investigate CYP2D6 polymorphisms in porphyric patients, healthy Argentinean volunteers, porphyric patients, and a group of individuals with high levels of iron were studied. Results indicated that the CYP2D6*3 and CYP2D6*4 alleles, in particular, would be linked to the onset of disease. Predictive genotyping for CYP2D6 in porphyric patients holds promise as a method to improve the clinical efficacy of drug therapy and to personalize drug administration for these patients.