Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Pharmacogenomics

Association of drug metabolism gene polymorphisms with toxicities, graft-versus-host disease and survival after HLA-identical sibling hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for patients with leukemia

Abstract

Individual differences in drug efficacy or toxicity can be influenced by genetic factors. We investigated whether polymorphisms of pharmacogenes that interfere with metabolism of drugs used in conditioning regimen and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis could be associated with outcomes after HLA-identical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Pharmacogenes and their polymorphisms were studied in 107 donors and patients with leukemia receiving HSCT. Candidate genes were: P450 cytochrome family (CYP2B6), glutathione-S-transferase family (GST), multidrug-resistance gene, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and vitamin D receptor (VDR). The end points studied were oral mucositis (OM), hemorrhagic cystitis (HC), toxicity and venoocclusive disease of the liver (VOD), GvHD, transplantation-related mortality (TRM) and survival. Multivariate analyses, using death as a competing event, were performed adjusting for clinical factors. Among other clinical and genetic factors, polymorphisms of CYP2B6 genes that interfere with cyclophosphamide metabolism were associated with OM (recipient CYP2B6*4; P=0.0067), HC (recipient CYP2B6*2; P=0.03) and VOD (donor CYP2B6*6; P=0.03). Recipient MTHFR polymorphisms (C677T) were associated with acute GvHD (P=0.03), and recipient VDR TaqI with TRM and overall survival (P=0.006 and P=0.04, respectively).Genetic factors that interfere with drug metabolisms are associated with treatment-related toxicities, GvHD and survival after HLA-identical HSCT in patients with leukemia and should be investigated prospectively.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Evans WE, Johnson JA . Pharmacogenomics: the inherited basis for interindividual differences in drug response. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2001; 2: 9–39.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Dickinson AM, Middleton PG, Rocha V, Gluckman E, Holler E . Genetic polymorphisms predicting the outcome of bone marrow transplants. Br J Haematol 2004; 127: 479–490.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Evans WE, McLeod HL . Pharmacogenomics—drug disposition, drug targets, and side effects. N Engl J Med 2003; 348: 538–549.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Cavet J, Middleton PG, Segall M, Noreen H, Davies SM, Dickinson AM . Recipient tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-10 gene polymorphisms associate with early mortality and acute graft-versus-host disease severity in HLA-matched sibling bone marrow transplants. Blood 1999; 94: 3941–3946.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Lin MT, Storer B, Martin PJ, Tseng LH, Gooley T, Chen PJ et al. Relation of an interleukin-10 promoter polymorphism to graft-versus-host disease and survival after hematopoietic-cell transplantation. N Engl J Med 2003; 349: 2201–2210.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Rocha V, Franco RF, Porcher R, Bittencourt H, Silva Jr WA, Latouche A et al. Host defense and inflammatory gene polymorphisms are associated with outcomes after HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplantation. Blood 2002; 100: 3908–3918.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Socie G, Loiseau P, Tamouza R, Janin A, Busson M, Gluckman E et al. Both genetic and clinical factors predict the development of graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Transplantation 2001; 72: 699–706.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Xie HJ, Yasar U, Lundgren S, Griskevicius L, Terelius Y, Hassan M et al. Role of polymorphic human CYP2B6 in cyclophosphamide bioactivation. Pharmacogenomics J 2003; 3: 53–61.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Jones RB, Matthes S, Cagnoni P . Pharmacokinetics. In: Armitage JO, Antman KH (eds). High-Dose Cancer Therapy: Pharmacology, Hematopoietins, Stem Cells, 3rd edn, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins: Philadelphia, 2000, pp 49–68.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Grenet O, Bobadilla M, Chibout SD, Steiner S . Evidence for the impairment of the vitamin D activation pathway by cyclosporine A. Biochem Pharmacol 2000; 59: 267–272.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Morariu-Zamfir R, Rocha V, Devergie A, Socie G, Ribaud P, Esperou H . et al. Influence of CD34(+) marrow cell dose on outcome of HLA-identical sibling allogeneic bone marrow transplants in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia. Bone Marrow Transplant 2001; 27: 575–580.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Miller SA, Dykes DD, Polesky HF . A simple salting out procedure for extracting DNA from human nucleated cells. Nucleic Acids Res 1988; 16: 1215.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Lang T, Klein K, Fischer J, Nussler AK, Neuhaus P, Hofmann U et al. Extensive genetic polymorphism in the human CYP2B6 gene with impact on expression and function in human liver. Pharmacogenetics 2001; 11: 399–415.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Ariyoshi N, Miyazaki M, Toide K, Sawamura Y, Kamataki T . A single nucleotide polymorphism of CYP2b6 found in Japanese enhances catalytic activity by autoactivation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2001; 281: 1256–1260.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Lee KA, Kim SH, Woo HY, Hong YJ, Cho HC . Increased frequencies of glutathione S-transferase (GSTM1 and GSTT1) gene deletions in Korean patients with acquired aplastic anemia. Blood 2001; 98: 3483–3485.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Wilson MH, Grant PJ, Hardie LJ, Wild CP . Glutathione S-transferase M1 null genotype is associated with a decreased risk of myocardial infarction. FASEB J 2000; 14: 791–796.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Hoffmeyer S, Burk O, von Richter O, Arnold HP, Brockmoller J, Johne A et al. Functional polymorphisms of the human multidrug-resistance gene: multiple sequence variations and correlation of one allele with P-glycoprotein expression and activity in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2000; 97: 3473–3478.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Frosst P, Blom HJ, Milos R, Goyette P, Sheppard CA, Matthews RG et al. A candidate genetic risk factor for vascular disease: a common mutation in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. Nat Genet 1995; 10: 111–113.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Franco RF, Morelli V, Lourenco D, Maffei FH, Tavella MH, Piccinato CE et al. A second mutation in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene and the risk of venous thrombotic disease. Br J Haematol 1999; 105: 556–559.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Bedi A, Miller CB, Hanson JL, Goodman S, Ambinder RF, Charache P et al. Association of BK virus with failure of prophylaxis against hemorrhagic cystitis following bone marrow transplantation. J Clin Oncol 1995; 13: 1103–1109.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. McDonald GB, Hinds MS, Fisher LD, Schoch HG, Wolford JL, Banaji M et al. Veno-occlusive disease of the liver and multiorgan failure after bone marrow transplantation: a cohort study of 355 patients. Ann Intern Med 1993; 118: 255–267.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Glucksberg H, Storb R, Fefer A, Buckner CD, Neiman PE, Clift RA et al. Clinical manifestations of graft-versus-host disease in human recipients of marrow from HL-A-matched sibling donors. Transplantation 1974; 18: 295–304.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Sullivan KM, Shulman HM, Storb R, Weiden PL, Witherspoon RP, McDonald GB et al. Chronic graft-versus-host disease in 52 patients: adverse natural course and successful treatment with combination immunosuppression. Blood 1981; 57: 267–276.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Coughlin SS, Hall IJ . Glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms and risk of ovarian cancer: a HuGE review. Genet Med 2002; 4: 250–257.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Taningher M, Malacarne D, Izzotti A, Ugolini D, Parodi S . Drug metabolism polymorphisms as modulators of cancer susceptibility. Mutat Res 1999; 436: 227–261.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. van der Put NM, Gabreels F, Stevens EM, Smeitink JA, Trijbels FJ, Eskes TK et al. A second common mutation in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene: an additional risk factor for neural-tube defects? Am J Hum Genet 1998; 62: 1044–1051.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Yates CR, Zhang W, Song P, Li S, Gaber AO, Kotb M et al. The effect of CYP3A5 and MDR1 polymorphic expression on cyclosporine oral disposition in renal transplant patients. J Clin Pharmacol 2003; 43: 555–564.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Riggs BL . Vitamin D-receptor genotypes and bone density. N Engl J Med 1997; 337: 125–126.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Videman T, Leppavuori J, Kaprio J, Battie MC, Gibbons LE, Peltonen L et al. Intragenic polymorphisms of the vitamin D receptor gene associated with intervertebral disc degeneration. Spine 1998; 23: 2477–2485.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Hennig BJ, Parkhill JM, Chapple IL, Heasman PA, Taylor JJ . Association of a vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism with localized early-onset periodontal diseases. J Periodontol 1999; 70: 1032–1038.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Roy S, Frodsham A, Saha B, Hazra SK, Mascie-Taylor CG, Hill AV . Association of vitamin D receptor genotype with leprosy type. J Infect Dis 1999; 179: 187–191.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Gray RJ . A class K-sample tests for comparing the cumulative incidence of a competing risk. Ann Stat 1988; 116: 1141–1154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Fine JP, Gray RJ . A proportional hazards model for the subdistribution of a competing risk. J Am Stat Assoc 1999; 94: 496–509.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Hurvich CM . Regression and time series model selection in small samples. Biometrika, Vol. 76 1989, pp 297–307.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Nebert DW, Jorge-Nebert L, Vesell ES . Pharmacogenomics and ‘individualized drug therapy’: high expectations and disappointing achievements. Am J Pharmacogenomics 2003; 3: 361–370.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Huang Z, Roy P, Waxman DJ . Role of human liver microsomal CYP3A4 and CYP2B6 in catalyzing N-dechloroethylation of cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide. Biochem Pharmacol 2000; 59: 961–972.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. McDonald GB, Slattery JT, Bouvier ME, Ren S, Batchelder AL, Kalhorn TF et al. Cyclophosphamide metabolism, liver toxicity, and mortality following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Blood 2003; 101: 2043–2048.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. McCarver DG, Hines RN . The ontogeny of human drug-metabolizing enzymes: phase II conjugation enzymes and regulatory mechanisms. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2002; 300: 361–366.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Srivastava A, Poonkuzhali B, Shaji RV, George B, Mathews V, Chandy M et al. Glutathione S-transferase M1 polymorphism: a risk factor for hepatic venoocclusive disease in bone marrow transplantation. Blood 2004; 104: 1574–1577.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Morrow CS, Smitherman PK, Townsend AJ . Role of multidrug-resistance protein 2 in glutathione S-transferase P1-1-mediated resistance to 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide toxicities in HepG2 cells. Mol Carcinog 2000; 29: 170–178.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Dusinska M, Ficek A, Horska A, Raslova K, Petrovska H, Vallova B et al. Glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms influence the level of oxidative DNA damage and antioxidant protection in humans. Mutat Res 2001; 482: 47–55.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Ouaissi A, Ouaissi M, Sereno D . Glutathione S-transferases and related proteins from pathogenic human parasites behave as immunomodulatory factors. Immunol Lett 2002; 81: 159–164.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Ulrich CM, Yasui Y, Storb R, Schubert MM, Wagner JL, Bigler J et al. Pharmacogenetics of methotrexate: toxicity among marrow transplantation patients varies with the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism. Blood 2001; 98: 231–234.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Chen Z, Karaplis AC, Ackerman SL, Pogribny IP, Melnyk S, Lussier-Cacan S et al. Mice deficient in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase exhibit hyperhomocysteinemia and decreased methylation capacity, with neuropathology and aortic lipid deposition. Hum Mol Genet 2001; 10: 433–443.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Evans WE . Differing effects of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase single nucleotide polymorphisms on methotrexate efficacy and toxicity in rheumatoid arthritis. Pharmacogenetics 2002; 12: 181–182.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Haagsma CJ, Blom HJ, van Riel PL, van’t Hof MA, Giesendorf BA, Oppenraaij-Emmerzaal D et al. Influence of sulphasalazine, methotrexate, and the combination of both on plasma homocysteine concentrations in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 1999; 58: 79–84.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  47. Kim I, Lee KH, Kim JH, Ra EK, Yoon SS, Hong YC et al. Polymorphisms of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene and clinical outcomes in HLA-matched sibling allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Ann Hematol 2007; 86: 41–48.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Robien K, Schubert MM, Chay T, Bigler J, Storb R, Yasui Y et al. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and thymidylate synthase genotypes modify oral mucositis severity following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 2006; 37: 799–800.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Murphy N, Diviney M, Szer J, Bardy P, Grigg A, Hoyt R et al. Donor methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genotype is associated with graft-versus-host disease in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients treated with methotrexate. Bone Marrow Transplant 2006; 37: 773–779.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Robien K, Bigler J, Yasui Y, Potter JD, Martin P, Storb R et al. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and thymidylate synthase genotypes and risk of acute graft-versus-host disease following hematopoietic cell transplantation for chronic myelogenous leukemia. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2006; 12: 973–980.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Hill GR, Ferrara JL . The primacy of the gastrointestinal tract as a target organ of acute graft-versus-host disease: rationale for the use of cytokine shields in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Blood 2000; 95: 2754–2759.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Robien K, Ulrich CM, Bigler J, Yasui Y, Gooley T, Bruemmer B et al. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genotype affects risk of relapse after hematopoietic cell transplantation for chronic myelogenous leukemia. Clin Cancer Res 2004; 10: 7592–7598.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Morrison NA, Qi JC, Tokita A, Kelly PJ, Crofts L, Nguyen TV et al. Prediction of bone density from vitamin D receptor alleles. Nature 1994; 367: 284–287.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Uitterlinden AG, Fang Y, Van Meurs JB, Pols HA, Van Leeuwen JP . Genetics and biology of vitamin D receptor polymorphisms. Gene 2004; 338: 143–156.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Hayes CE, Nashold FE, Spach KM, Pedersen LB . The immunological functions of the vitamin D endocrine system. Cell Mol Biol (Noisy -le-grand) 2003; 49: 277–300.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Pakkala I, Taskinen E, Pakkala S, Raisanen-Sokolowski A . MC1288, a vitamin D analog, prevents acute graft-versus-host disease in rat bone marrow transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 2001; 27: 863–867.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Middleton PG, Cullup H, Dickinson AM, Norden J, Jackson GH, Taylor PR et al. Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism associates with graft-versus-host disease and survival in HLA-matched sibling allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 2002; 30: 223–228.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Griffin MD, Lutz W, Phan VA, Bachman LA, McKean DJ, Kumar R . Dendritic cell modulation by 1alpha,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 and its analogs: a vitamin D receptor-dependent pathway that promotes a persistent state of immaturity in vitro and in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2001; 98: 6800–6805.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  59. Veldman CM, Cantorna MT, Deluca HF . Expression of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) receptor in the immune system. Arch Biochem Biophys 2000; 374: 334–338.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank MH Tavela, AG Araujo for the technical assistance and V Bons for updating the database. This study has been supported by Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris, IFR Saint Louis, Association pour la Recherche sur les Transplantations Médullaires (ARTM) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), Brazil.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to V Rocha.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rocha, V., Porcher, R., Fernandes, J. et al. Association of drug metabolism gene polymorphisms with toxicities, graft-versus-host disease and survival after HLA-identical sibling hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for patients with leukemia. Leukemia 23, 545–556 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2008.323

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2008.323

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links