Investigating CYP2C19 loss-of-function allele statuses and their association with stroke of different etiologies in a Taiwanese population

CYP2C19 *2/*2 Genotype is a Risk Factor for Multi-Site Arteriosclerosis: A Hospital-Based Cohort Study

Background

Vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis usually affect multiple organs. Genetic factors have a certain proportion in the risk factors of atherosclerosis. The purpose was to investigate the relationship of cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) polymorphisms with multi-site atherosclerosis.

Methods

The study included 410 patients with single-site atherosclerosis and 529 patients with multi-site atherosclerosis. The relationship between CYP2C19 rs4244285 and rs4986893 polymorphisms and single-site atherosclerosis and multi-site atherosclerosis was analyzed.

Results

The proportion of CYP2C19 rs4244285 A allele (35.9% vs 29.9%, P=0.007) and rs4986893 G allele (97.7% vs 94.8%, P=0.001) in multi-site atherosclerosis group was significantly higher than that in single-site atherosclerosis group. The distribution of CYP2C19 genotypes was significantly different between the two groups (P=0.002). The results of univariate logistic regression indicated that CYP2C19 *1/*3 genotype (*1/*3 vs *1/*1: odds ratio (OR) 0.456, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.231-0.902, P=0.024) may decrease risk of multi-site atherosclerosis, while *2/*2 genotype (*2/*2 vs *1/*1: OR 1.780, 95% CI: 1.100-2.880, P=0.019) may increase risk of multi-site atherosclerosis. Multivariate logistic regression (adjusted for gender, age, smoking, drinking, hypertension, and diabetes) indicated that CYP2C19 *1/*3 genotype (*1/*3 vs *1/*1: OR 0.459, 95% CI: 0.231-0.909, P=0.026) may be an independent protective factor for multi-site atherosclerosis, while *2/*2 genotype (*2/*2 vs *1/*1: OR 1.767, 95% CI: 1.091-2.864, P=0.021) may be an independent risk factor for multi-site atherosclerosis.

Conclusion

CYP2C19 *1/*3 genotype may be an independent protective factor for multi-site atherosclerosis, while *2/*2 genotype may be an independent risk factor for multi-site atherosclerosis.

Ticagrelor vs Clopidogrel in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients With a History of Ischemic Stroke

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether use of ticagrelor compared to clopidogrel is associated with different risks for thrombotic events or major bleeding among acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients with a prior history of acute ischemic stroke.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This retrospective cohort study used the Health and Welfare Database in Taiwan. Stroke patients prescribed ticagrelor plus aspirin or clopidogrel plus aspirin after a primary hospitalization for AMI between July 1, 2013, and December 31, 2018, were included. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was applied to balance covariates between treatment groups. The primary effectiveness outcome included a composite measure of AMI, acute ischemic stroke, or all-cause mortality. The primary safety outcome included a composite measure of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and major gastrointestinal bleeding. The secondary effectiveness and safety outcomes comprised each of the individual components that make up the primary effectiveness and safety outcomes, respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 1691 eligible patients were included in the study, of whom 734 (43.4%) received ticagrelor plus aspirin and 957 received clopidogrel plus aspirin. There were no significant differences observed in the primary and secondary effectiveness outcomes between the two study groups. However, the use of ticagrelor was associated with a higher risk of ICH (ticagrelor: 8.68 per 1000 person-year; clopidogrel: 2.17 per 1,000 person-year; HR, 3.34; 95% CI, 1.27 to 8.81, P = .01) compared with clopidogrel.

CONCLUSION

In AMI patients with a history of acute ischemic stroke, the risks of cardiovascular events were comparable between ticagrelor plus aspirin and clopidogrel plus aspirin. However, ticagrelor was associated with a higher risk of ICH. Ticagrelor should be used cautiously in AMI patients with a history of acute ischemic stroke.

Clinical outcomes of generic versus brand-name clopidogrel for secondary prevention in patients with acute myocardial infarction: A nationwide cohort study

Skepticism exists among healthcare workers and patients regarding the efficacy and safety of generic medication, despite its potential to lower healthcare costs. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of a generic clopidogrel and its brand-name counterpart for secondary prevention in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 49,325 patients who were hospitalized for AMI between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2013 and prescribed either generic or brand-name clopidogrel. Among them, 2419 (4.9%) were prescribed the generic clopidogrel. After propensity score matching, both the generic and brand-name groups consisted of 2382 patients. The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, ischemic stroke, and all-cause death. The primary safety outcome was major bleeding requiring hospitalization. At a mean follow-up of 2.5 years, the generic and brand-name clopidogrel groups had comparable risks of primary efficacy outcome (41.9% vs. 42%; hazard ratio [HR] 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88-1.04), and the risks of the individual components were also similar. There were no significant differences between the two groups in major bleeding (7.9% vs. 7.9%; HR 0.99; 95% CI 0.81-1.21). Subgroup analyses also revealed no statistically significant interactions between the treatment effect and various subgroups. In this retrospective database analysis, the generic clopidogrel was comparable to its brand-name counterpart regarding cardiovascular and bleeding outcomes for the treatment of patients with AMI.

Differences in the Proportion of CYP2C19 Loss-of-Function Between Cerebral Infarction and Coronary Artery Disease Patients

Background

Cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) genotypes and metabolic phenotypes (extensive metabolizer (EM), intermediate metabolizer (IM), and poor metabolizer (PM)) are related to the metabolism of therapeutic drugs for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. This study aimed to investigate the differences of CYP2C19 gene polymorphism distribution between coronary artery disease (CAD) patients and cerebral infarction (CI) patients.

Methods

We identified 413 CI patients, 509 CAD patients, and 241 CI+CAD patients from 2016 to 2020 and studied genotypes of CYP2C19 rs4986893 (636G>A) and rs4244285 (681G>A) polymorphisms using PCR-gene chip detection method. Differences in CYP2C19 genotypes and metabolic phenotypes between the groups were compared. To analyze the efficacy of CYP2C19 metabolic phenotypes in discriminating between cerebral infarction and coronary artery disease, multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted after adjusting for gender, age, smoking history, drinking history, hypertension, and diabetes.

Results

There were significant differences in the distribution of CYP2C19 genotypes and metabolic phenotypes between CI and CAD patients. The results of multivariate logistic regression (adjusted for sex, age, smoking, drinking, hypertension, and diabetes) indicated that CYP2C19 IM phenotype (IM vs EM: OR 1.443, 95% CI: 1.086-1.918, P=0.011) and CYP2C19 IM+PM phenotype (IM or PM vs EM: OR 1.440, 95% CI: 1.100-1.885, P=0.008) may be indicators of CI from CAD.

Conclusion

CYP2C19 EM metabolic phenotype was dominant in CAD patients, and CYP2C19 IM metabolic phenotype was dominant in CI patients. After adjusting for other confounding factors, patients with the CYP2C19 IM metabolic phenotype were more likely to develop CI than CAD.

The 2023 Taiwan Stroke Society Guidelines for the management of patients with intracranial atherosclerotic disease

Intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) is a major cause of ischemic stroke, especially in Asian populations, which has a high risk of recurrent stroke and cardiovascular comorbidities. The present guidelines aim to provide updated evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and management of patients with ICAD. Taiwan Stroke Society guideline consensus group developed recommendations for management of patients with ICAD via consensus meetings based on updated evidences. Each proposed class of recommendation and level of evidence was approved by all members of the group. The guidelines cover six topics, including (1) epidemiology and diagnostic evaluation of ICAD, (2) nonpharmacological management of ICAD, (3) medical therapy for symptomatic ICAD, (4) endovascular thrombectomy and rescue therapy for acute ischemic stroke with underlying ICAD, (5) endovascular interventional therapy for postacute symptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis, and (6) surgical treatment of chronic symptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis. Intensive medical treatment including antiplatelet therapy, risk factor control, and life style modification are essential for patients with ICAD.

Baseline P2Y12 reactivity, kidney function, and CYP2C19 genotype determine clopidogrel responsiveness in acute stroke

Clopidogrel is the most-widely used platelet P2Y12-inhibitor for secondary-prevention of ischemic stroke. Platelet P2Y12 reactivity before and after inhibitors can be measured with blood sampling by commercialized system. We aimed to evaluate (1) whether high-on-clopidogrel platelet P2Y12 reactivity (HCPR) is associated with short-term vascular events and (2) the predictors of HCPR in acute stroke. The inclusion criterion was patients with acute stroke who received clopidogrel within 12-48 h after the onset. Platelet reactivity was assayed at baseline and after clopidogrel treatment using the VerifyNow system. The primary endpoint was recurrent ischemic events within 21 days after stroke. Among 190 patients, 32(16.9%) had recurrent ischemic stroke. Multivariate analyses showed that HCPR was significantly associated with the short-term events with an odds-ratio of 2.5 (95% CI 1.1-5.7, p = 0.027). Patients with HCPR had significantly higher frequencies of high baseline platelet P2Y12 reactivity, impaired kidney function, and carrying one or two CYP2C19 loss-of-function alleles. A poor clopidogrel response score combining these factors was developed. Ten percent of patients with score 0, 20.3% of those with score 1, 38.3% of those with score 2, and 66.7% of those with score 3 had HCPR (χ²-test, p < 0.001). Multivariate analyses showed that, compared with the score-0 group, the score-2 and -3 groups had higher risks of HCPR with hazard-ratios of 5.4 (95% CI 1.5-20.3, p = 0.012) and 17.4 (95% CI 3.4-88.9, p = 0.001) for developing recurrent ischemic strokes. The study emphasized the role of HCPR in ischemic stroke. We also developed an HCPR risk score, which could be used in clinical practice or trials, potentially with more precision, to weigh the clinical benefit of a tailored antiplatelet-strategy for patients with stroke.

CYP2C19 loss-of-function is associated with increased risk of hypertension in a Hakka population: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

Genetic factors have a certain proportion in the risk factors of hypertension. The purpose was to investigate the relationship of cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) polymorphisms with hypertension in Hakka population.

METHODS

The study included 1,872 hypertensive patients and 1,110 controls. The genotypes of CYP2C19 rs4244285 and rs4986893 of all individuals were detected and analyzed.

RESULTS

The genotype and allele distributions of CYP2C19 rs4244285 were significantly different between hypertension group and control group. The CYP2C19 *1/*1 genotype was the most predominant among the subjects (40.8%), followed by the CYP2C19 *1/*2 genotype (40.5%). The percentage of CYP2C19*1, *2, and *3 allele was 64.2%, 30.8%, and 5.0%, respectively. The proportion of intermediate metabolizers (IM) (49.3% vs. 42.9%), poor metabolizers (PM) (14.3% vs. 8.9%) (P < 0.001), and CYP2C19*2 allele (33.8% vs. 25.7%, P < 0.001) in hypertension group was significantly higher than that in control group. Multivariate logistic regression (adjusted for gender, age, smoking, and drinking) indicated that CYP2C19 *1/*2, *1/*3, and *2/*2 genotypes may increase susceptibility to hypertension. And the CYP2C19 IM genotype (IM vs. EM: OR 1.514, 95% CI: 1.291-1.775, P < 0.001), PM genotype (PM vs. EM: OR 2.120, 95% CI: 1.638-2.743, P < 0.001), IM + PM genotypes (IM + PM vs. EM: OR 1.617, 95% CI: 1.390-1.882, P < 0.001) may increase risk of hypertension.

CONCLUSIONS

CYP2C19 loss-of-function (IM, PM genotypes) is independent risk factor for hypertension susceptibility. Specifically, the risk genotypes include CYP2C19 *1/*2, *1/*3, and *2/*2.

CYP2C19 loss-of-function alleles predicts clinical outcomes in East Asian patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention and stenting receiving clopidogrel

Background

CYP2C19 loss-of-function (LOF) alleles reduce the effectiveness of clopidogrel and are associated with high rates of clinical events in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and stenting in Northeast Asians. However, the prevalence and influence of CYP2C19 LOF alleles in Southeast Asians remain unclear.

Objectives

This study aims to retrospectively investigate the prevalence of CYP2C19 LOF alleles and clinical outcomes in East Asian patients taking clopidogrel and undergoing PCI.

Methods

Between June 2019 and June 2020, volunteer participants in a single medical center were consecutively selected. The genetic data of CYP2C19 were derived from the Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative (TPMI). Patients receiving clopidogrel while undergoing PCI with stenting were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

A total of 999 patients (62.4 ± 11.1 years old, 83.7% men) were enrolled; 39.3% without the CYP2C19 LOF allele (normal metabolizers + rapid metabolizers, NM + RM); 44.9% with one LOF allele (intermediate metabolizers, IM); 15.7% with two LOF alleles (poor metabolizers, PM). The incidence of stroke was higher in the PM subgroup compared to the NM + RM subgroup or IM subgroup in patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The 1-year major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE)-free survival rates in all participants were similar among the three groups. However, in the AMI group, the 1-year MACCE-free survival rates were significantly lower in the PM subgroup compared to the NM + RM subgroup or IM subgroup.

Conclusion

In East Asians presenting with AMI, CYP2C19 PM was associated with deleterious cardiovascular outcomes and stroke. Our results reinforce the crucial role of preemptive CYP2C19 genotyping in East Asian AMI patients receiving clopidogrel treatment.

Effectiveness and Safety of Clopidogrel vs Aspirin in Elderly Patients With Ischemic Stroke

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the risks of recurrent stroke and major bleeding events with clopidogrel and aspirin use among patients aged 80 years or older.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Full Population Data of the Health and Welfare Database in Taiwan. Patients aged 80 years or older who received monotherapy with clopidogrel or aspirin following hospitalization for primary acute ischemic stroke between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2018, were included. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to balance measured covariates between clopidogrel and aspirin users. Measured outcomes included recurrent acute ischemic stroke, acute myocardial infarction, composite cardiovascular events (recurrent stroke or acute myocardial infarction), intracranial hemorrhage, major gastrointestinal tract bleeding, and composite major bleeding events (intracranial hemorrhage or major gastrointestinal tract bleeding).

RESULTS

A total of 15,045 patients were included in the study, 1979 of whom used clopidogrel and 13,066 who used aspirin following hospitalization for primary acute ischemic stroke. Clopidogrel use was associated with significantly lower risk of recurrent acute ischemic stroke (hazard ratio [HR], 0.89; 95% CI, 0.83 to 0.96; P=.002), composite cardiovascular events (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.95; P<.001), intracranial hemorrhage (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.90; P=.005), and composite major bleeding events (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.80 to 0.99; P=.04) compared with aspirin use.

CONCLUSION

In patients aged 80 years or older with primary acute ischemic stroke, clopidogrel users had lower risks of recurrent stroke and the composite cardiovascular events compared with aspirin users. Clopidogrel users also had lower risks of intracranial hemorrhage and the composite major bleeding events compared with aspirin users.

Clopidogrel Use and CYP2C19 Genotypes in Patients Undergoing Vascular Intervention Procedure: A Hospital-Based Study

Purpose

Clopidogrel is widely used in coronary artery, peripheral arterial, and cerebrovascular disease. We aimed to study the association of the CYP2C19 phenotype with cardiovascular outcomes and interventional procedures in a hospital-based population.

Patients and Methods

This cross-sectional, retrospective study enrolled patients with prior exposure to clopidogrel at the Taichung Veterans General Hospital (TCVGH) using data extracted from the Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative (TPMI). Data on the CYP2C19 phenotype, drug-prescription profile, comorbidities, vascular intervention procedures, and hospitalization due to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or stroke of clopidogrel users were analyzed.

Results

From the 32,728 patients in the TCVGH-TPMI cohort, we selected 2687 clopidogrel users. A total of 400 (14.9%) clopidogrel poor metabolizers (PMs), 1235 (46.0%) intermediate metabolizers (IMs), and 1052 (39.2%) extensive metabolizers (EMs) were identified. The predominant loss-of-function allele is *2. In 2687 patients with clopidogrel exposure, the CYP2C19 PM phenotype was unassociated with hospitalization due to AMI or stroke after adjusting for comorbidities and carotid angiographies. Among the 1554 clopidogrel users who underwent cardiovascular intervention, 193 (12.4%) received two or more types of interventional procedures. Compared with non-PMs, patients with the PM phenotype had a higher risk of multiple carotid interventions (OR: 3.13, 95% CI: 1.19–8.22).

Conclusion

In this hospital-wide cohort, 8.2% were clopidogrel users, of which 14.9% were CYP2C19 PMs. The result of this study does not support universal genotyping of CYP2C19 in all clopidogrel users to identify risks for stroke and AMI. CYP2C19 PMs are more likely to undergo multiple carotid interventions than non-PMs. Prospective studies to investigate the association of the CYP2C19 genotype and carotid interventions and outcomes are needed to validate our results.

Prasugrel switching from clopidogrel after percutaneous coronary intervention for acute coronary syndrome in Taiwanese patients: an analysis of safety and efficacy

The recommended maintenance dose of prasugrel for East Asian populations (i.e., Japanese and Taiwanese) is 3.75 mg as part of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) for the prevention of recurrent ischemia and stent thrombosis in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This modified dosage regimen has been established in studies conducted in Japan; however, the efficacy and safety of switching from clopidogrel to prasugrel DAPT among Taiwanese patients remain to be explored. In this phase IV, multicenter, single-arm, open-label study, we evaluated the 4-week pharmacodynamic response, and the 48-week safety outcomes of prasugrel 3.75 mg after a switch from clopidogrel in Taiwanese ACS patients. A total of 203 prasugrel-naïve ACS patients (over 90% male) who had received post-PCI clopidogrel DAPT for at least 2 weeks were enrolled from ten medical centers in Taiwan and subsequently switched to prasugrel 3.75 mg DAPT. Four weeks after the switch, P2Y12 reaction unit (PRU) values were significantly decreased in the total cohort (mean − 18.2 ± 48.1; 95% confidence interval − 24.9 to − 11.5, p < 0.001), and there was an overall consistent antiplatelet response in the treated subjects. The proportion of patients with high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HPR; PRU > 208) dropped from 23.5 to 10% (p < 0.001). Female sex was associated with a greater PRU reduction with prasugrel, whereas HPR at baseline, age ≥ 65 years, and body mass index ≥ 25 best predicted HPR at Week 4. Throughout the 48-week treatment with prasugrel, the incidences of MACE (1.0%) and TIMI major bleeding (2.0%) were rather low, accompanying an acceptable safety profile of TIMI minor (6.4%) and non-major, non-minor clinically relevant bleeding (3.0%). Overall, switching to the maintenance dose of prasugrel (3.75 mg) was observed to be effective and well tolerated among post-PCI ACS patients in Taiwan. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT03672097.

Bleeding associated with co-administration of clopidogrel and ACEi in patients undergoing PCI and DAPT

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The coprescription of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) with clopidogrel reportedly increases bleeding risk. However, studies have not described such an increase in cases of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS

We analyzed electronic medical records of patients with discharge records of having undergone DAPT after PCI from a national health insurance claims database for January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2014. The date of PCI was the index date, and the primary outcome was major bleeding. The unit of analysis was one person-quarter. We compared patients who were prescribed with those not prescribed an ACEi in the cohort. A Poisson model with inverse probability of treatment weighting was fitted using generalized estimating equations to measure the risk of outcomes.

RESULTS

In total, 193,258 patients underwent DAPT after PCI; 46% had a coprescription of an ACEi. After screening, 170,775 patients (479,263 person-quarters) remained for analysis. The mean patient age was 65 ± 13 years, and 73.43% were men. In total, 79,739 prescriptions of an ACEi were written: 57%, 14.21%, 8.88%, 7.17%, and 4.68% were for captopril, ramipril, enalapril, perindopril, and imidapril, respectively. A concomitant prescription of an ACEi with clopidogrel was not associated with increased bleeding risk (adjusted rate ratio: 1.08, 99% confidence interval: 0.99-1.17).

CONCLUSIONS

The coadministration of an ACEi with clopidogrel after PCI is common. In this real-world cohort study, such coadministration was not associated with an increased risk of major bleeding in patients undergoing DAPT after PCI.

Efficacy and safety of clopidogrel and aspirin do not differ in patients with stable ischemic stroke

BACKGROUND

The current study compared the efficacy and safety of clopidogrel vs aspirin in the secondary prevention of ischemic stroke (IS).

METHODS

We included patients from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database who were aged between 20 and 80 years, had their first ever IS, had no diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, and had not used an oral anticoagulant before the index IS between 2002 and 2010. We excluded patients who died or were admitted to a hospital due to acute myocardial infarction, recurrent IS, or major bleeding within 3 months of IS. Patients were then classified into clopidogrel as aspirin users. Propensity score matching was adopted to select clopidogrel and aspirin groups with similar baseline characteristics (n = 8457 vs 16,914, mean follow-up period of 2.1 years and 1.9 years, respectively). Conditional Cox proportional hazard regression was used to compare risks of all-cause death, cardiovascular death, recurrent stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and major bleeding in clopidogrel users and aspirin users.

RESULTS

The risks of all-cause death, cardiovascular death, recurrent stroke, and acute myocardial infarction did not differ between clopidogrel and aspirin users. Subgroup analyses revealed that the results were consistent regardless of age, disease severity, or comorbidity.

CONCLUSION

According to real-world data, the efficacy and safety of clopidogrel and aspirin for secondary prevention of stable IS did not differ.

Association between CYP2C19 gene polymorphisms and lipid metabolism in Chinese patients with ischemic stroke

OBJECTIVE

The CYP2C19 genetic variation may be involved in the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Serum lipid levels are important risk factors for ASCVD, but the effect of the CYP2C19 gene on serum lipid metabolism remains unclear. This retrospective cohort study investigated the relationship between the CYP2C19 gene polymorphism and serum lipid levels in patients with ischemic stroke (IS).

METHODS

IS patients (n = 230) and control subjects (n = 100) were enrolled. All patients were diagnosed with IS via clinical manifestations and brain magnetic resonance imaging. All patients were genotyped.

RESULTS

Triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c), and apolipoprotein B (ApoB) levels were significantly higher and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) and apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) levels were significantly lower in the IS group compared with the control group. Lower ApoA1 levels and higher ApoB levels were significant predictive factors for IS. Patients with higher ApoB levels had a higher risk of IS recurrence. Compared with extensive metabolizers, intermediate and poor CYP2C19 metabolizers had a higher risk of IS recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study indicates CYP2C19 gene polymorphisms are related to lipid metabolism in patients with IS. IS patients who are poor CYP2C19 metabolizers may have a higher risk of disease recurrence.