Identification of drug responsive enhancers by predicting chromatin accessibility change from perturbed gene expression profiles

Individual may response to drug treatment differently due to their genetic variants located in enhancers. These variants can alter transcription factor's (TF) binding strength, affect enhancer's chromatin activity or interaction, and eventually change expression level of downstream gene. Here, we propose a computational framework, PERD, to Predict the Enhancers Responsive to Drug. A machine learning model was trained to predict the genome-wide chromatin accessibility from transcriptome data using the paired expression and chromatin accessibility data collected from ENCODE and ROADMAP. Then the model was applied to the perturbed gene expression data from Connectivity Map (CMAP) and Cancer Drug-induced gene expression Signature DataBase (CDS-DB) and identify drug responsive enhancers with significantly altered chromatin accessibility. Furthermore, the drug responsive enhancers were related to the pharmacogenomics genome-wide association studies (PGx GWAS). Stepping on the traditional drug-associated gene signatures, PERD holds the promise to enhance the causality of drug perturbation by providing candidate regulatory element of those drug associated genes.

Roadmap to DILI research in Europe. A proposal from COST action ProEuroDILINet

In the current article the aims for a constructive way forward in Drug-Induced Liver Injury (DILI) are to highlight the most important priorities in research and clinical science, therefore supporting a more informed, focused, and better funded future for European DILI research. This Roadmap aims to identify key challenges, define a shared vision across all stakeholders for the opportunities to overcome these challenges and propose a high-quality research program to achieve progress on the prediction, prevention, diagnosis and management of this condition and impact on healthcare practice in the field of DILI. This will involve 1. Creation of a database encompassing optimised case report form for prospectively identified DILI cases with well-characterised controls with competing diagnoses, biological samples, and imaging data; 2. Establishing of preclinical models to improve the assessment and prediction of hepatotoxicity in humans to guide future drug safety testing; 3. Emphasis on implementation science and 4. Enhanced collaboration between drug-developers, clinicians and regulatory scientists. This proposed operational framework will advance DILI research and may bring together basic, applied, translational and clinical research in DILI.

Joint Analysis of Phenotypic and Genomic Diversity Sheds Light on the Evolution of Xenobiotic Metabolism in Humans

Variation in genes involved in the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs (ADME) can influence individual response to a therapeutic treatment. The study of ADME genetic diversity in human populations has led to evolutionary hypotheses of adaptation to distinct chemical environments. Population differentiation in measured drug metabolism phenotypes is, however, scarcely documented, often indirectly estimated via genotype-predicted phenotypes. We administered seven probe compounds devised to target six cytochrome P450 enzymes and the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) activity to assess phenotypic variation in four populations along a latitudinal transect spanning over Africa, the Middle East, and Europe (349 healthy Ethiopian, Omani, Greek, and Czech volunteers). We demonstrate significant population differentiation for all phenotypes except the one measuring CYP2D6 activity. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) evidenced that the variability of phenotypes measuring CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP2D6 activity was associated with genetic variants linked to the corresponding encoding genes, and additional genes for the latter three. Instead, GWAS did not indicate any association between genetic diversity and the phenotypes measuring CYP1A2, CYP3A4, and P-gp activity. Genome scans of selection highlighted multiple candidate regions, a few of which included ADME genes, but none overlapped with the GWAS candidates. Our results suggest that different mechanisms have been shaping the evolution of these phenotypes, including phenotypic plasticity, and possibly some form of balancing selection. We discuss how these contrasting results highlight the diverse evolutionary trajectories of ADME genes and proteins, consistent with the wide spectrum of both endogenous and exogenous molecules that are their substrates.

Genophenotypic Factors and Pharmacogenomics in Adverse Drug Reactions

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) rank as one of the top 10 leading causes of death and illness in developed countries. ADRs show differential features depending upon genotype, age, sex, race, pathology, drug category, route of administration, and drug–drug interactions. Pharmacogenomics (PGx) provides the physician effective clues for optimizing drug efficacy and safety in major problems of health such as cardiovascular disease and associated disorders, cancer and brain disorders. Important aspects to be considered are also the impact of immunopharmacogenomics in cutaneous ADRs as well as the influence of genomic factors associated with COVID-19 and vaccination strategies. Major limitations for the routine use of PGx procedures for ADRs prevention are the lack of education and training in physicians and pharmacists, poor characterization of drug-related PGx, unspecific biomarkers of drug efficacy and toxicity, cost-effectiveness, administrative problems in health organizations, and insufficient regulation for the generalized use of PGx in the clinical setting. The implementation of PGx requires: (i) education of physicians and all other parties involved in the use and benefits of PGx; (ii) prospective studies to demonstrate the benefits of PGx genotyping; (iii) standardization of PGx procedures and development of clinical guidelines; (iv) NGS and microarrays to cover genes with high PGx potential; and (v) new regulations for PGx-related drug development and PGx drug labelling.

Advanced preclinical models for evaluation of drug-induced liver injury - consensus statement by the European Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network [PRO-EURO-DILI-NET]

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a major cause of acute liver failure (ALF) and one of the leading indications for liver transplantation in Western societies. Given the wide use of both prescribed and over the counter drugs, DILI has become a major health issue for which there is a pressing need to find novel and effective therapies. Although significant progress has been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying DILI, our incomplete knowledge of its pathogenesis and inability to predict DILI is largely due to both discordance between human and animal DILI in preclinical drug development and a lack of models that faithfully recapitulate complex pathophysiological features of human DILI. This is exemplified by the hepatotoxicity of acetaminophen (APAP) overdose, a major cause of ALF because of its extensive worldwide use as an analgesic. Despite intensive efforts utilising current animal and in vitro models, the mechanisms involved in the hepatotoxicity of APAP are still not fully understood. In this expert Consensus Statement, which is endorsed by the European Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network, we aim to facilitate and outline clinically impactful discoveries by detailing the requirements for more realistic human-based systems to assess hepatotoxicity and guide future drug safety testing. We present novel insights and discuss major players in APAP pathophysiology, and describe emerging in vitro and in vivo pre-clinical models, as well as advanced imaging and in silico technologies, which may improve prediction of clinical outcomes of DILI.

The Transporter-Mediated Cellular Uptake and Efflux of Pharmaceutical Drugs and Biotechnology Products: How and Why Phospholipid Bilayer Transport Is Negligible in Real Biomembranes

Over the years, my colleagues and I have come to realise that the likelihood of pharmaceutical drugs being able to diffuse through whatever unhindered phospholipid bilayer may exist in intact biological membranes in vivo is vanishingly low. This is because (i) most real biomembranes are mostly protein, not lipid, (ii) unlike purely lipid bilayers that can form transient aqueous channels, the high concentrations of proteins serve to stop such activity, (iii) natural evolution long ago selected against transport methods that just let any undesirable products enter a cell, (iv) transporters have now been identified for all kinds of molecules (even water) that were once thought not to require them, (v) many experiments show a massive variation in the uptake of drugs between different cells, tissues, and organisms, that cannot be explained if lipid bilayer transport is significant or if efflux were the only differentiator, and (vi) many experiments that manipulate the expression level of individual transporters as an independent variable demonstrate their role in drug and nutrient uptake (including in cytotoxicity or adverse drug reactions). This makes such transporters valuable both as a means of targeting drugs (not least anti-infectives) to selected cells or tissues and also as drug targets. The same considerations apply to the exploitation of substrate uptake and product efflux transporters in biotechnology. We are also beginning to recognise that transporters are more promiscuous, and antiporter activity is much more widespread, than had been realised, and that such processes are adaptive (i.e., were selected by natural evolution). The purpose of the present review is to summarise the above, and to rehearse and update readers on recent developments. These developments lead us to retain and indeed to strengthen our contention that for transmembrane pharmaceutical drug transport "phospholipid bilayer transport is negligible".

Analysis Approaches to Identify Pharmacogenetic Associations With Pharmacodynamics

Pharmacogenetics (PGx) seeks to enable selection of the right dose of the right drug for each patient to optimize therapeutic outcomes. Most PGx focuses on pharmacokinetics (PKs), due to our relatively advanced understanding of the genes involved in PKs and the causative effects of variants in those genes. Genetic variants can also affect pharmacodynamics (PDs), but relatively few PGx-PD associations have been identified. This is partially due to a more limited understanding of the relevant genes and the consequences of genetic variation, but is also due in part to the potential confounding of PK variability in assessments of clinical outcomes that have a contribution from both PKs and PDs. For example, it is challenging to confirm the effect of mu opioid receptor (OPRM1) genetic variation on opioid response due to the contribution of CYP2D6 genotype to bioactivation of some opioid drugs (i.e., codeine and tramadol). The objectives of this mini-review are to describe several recent efforts to discover and validate PGx-PD that disentangle the influence of PK variability and propose potential approaches that could be used in future PGx-PD analyses. We use the effect of OPRM1 genetics on opioid response to illustrate how these analyses could be conducted and conclude by discussing how PGx-PD could be translated into clinical practice to improve therapeutic outcomes.

Planning and Conducting a Pharmacogenetics Association Study

Pharmacogenetics (PGx) association studies are used to discover, replicate, and validate the association between an inherited genotype and a treatment outcome. The objective of this tutorial is to provide trainees and novice PGx researchers with an overview of the major decisions that need to be made when designing and conducting a PGx association study. The first critical decision is to determine whether the objective of the study is discovery, replication, or validation. Next, the researcher must identify a patient cohort that has all of the data necessary to conduct the intended analysis. Then, the investigator must select and define the treatment outcome, or phenotype, that will be analyzed. Next, the investigator must determine what genotyping approach and genetic data will be included in the analysis. Finally, the association between the genotype and phenotype is tested using some statistical analysis methodology. This tutorial is divided into five sections; each section describes commonly used approaches and provides suggestions and resources for designing and conducting a PGx association study. Successful PGx association studies are necessary to discover and validate associations between inherited genetic variation and treatment outcomes, which enable clinical translation to improve efficacy and reduce toxicity of treatment.

Prospects for personalization of depression treatment with genome sequencing

The effectiveness of antidepressants in the treatment of major depressive disorder varies considerably between patients. With these interindividual differences and a number of antidepressants to choose from, the first choice of treatment often fails to produce improvement in the patient's condition. A substantial part of the variation in response to antidepressants can be explained by genetic factors. Accordingly, variants related to drug metabolism in two pharmacogenes, CYP2D6 and CYP2C19, have already been translated into guidelines for antidepressant prescriptions. The role of variants in other genes that influence antidepressant responses is not yet understood. Furthermore, rare and individual variants account for a substantial part of genetic differences in antidepressant efficacy. Recent years have brought a tremendous increase in the accessibility of genome sequencing in terms of data availability and its clinical use. In this review, we summarize recent developments and current issues in the personalization of major depressive disorder treatment through pharmacogenomics.

Could Polygenic Risk Scores Be Useful in Psychiatry?: A Review

IMPORTANCE

Polygenic risk scores (PRS) are predictors of the genetic susceptibility to diseases, calculated for individuals as weighted counts of thousands of risk variants in which the risk variants and their weights have been identified in genome-wide association studies. Polygenic risk scores show promise in aiding clinical decision-making in many areas of medical practice. This review evaluates the potential use of PRS in psychiatry.

OBSERVATIONS

On their own, PRS will never be able to establish or definitively predict a diagnosis of common complex conditions (eg, mental health disorders), because genetic factors only contribute part of the risk and PRS will only ever capture part of the genetic contribution. Combining PRS with other risk factors has potential to improve outcome prediction and aid clinical decision-making (eg, determining follow-up options for individuals seeking help who are at clinical risk of future illness). Prognostication of adverse physical health outcomes or response to treatment in clinical populations are of great interest for psychiatric practice, but data from larger samples are needed to develop and evaluate PRS.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Polygenic risk scores will contribute to risk assessment in clinical psychiatry as it evolves to combine information from molecular, clinical, and lifestyle metrics. The genome-wide genotype data needed to calculate PRS are inexpensive to generate and could become available to psychiatrists as a by-product of practices in other medical specialties. The utility of PRS in clinical psychiatry, as well as ethical issues associated with their use, should be evaluated in the context of realistic expectations of what PRS can and cannot deliver. Clinical psychiatry has lagged behind other fields of health care in its use of new technologies and routine clinical data for research. Now is the time to catch up.

Genome-Wide Association Study of Metamizole-Induced Agranulocytosis in European Populations

Agranulocytosis is a rare yet severe idiosyncratic adverse drug reaction to metamizole, an analgesic widely used in countries such as Switzerland and Germany. Notably, an underlying mechanism has not yet been fully elucidated and no predictive factors are known to identify at-risk patients. With the aim to identify genetic susceptibility variants to metamizole-induced agranulocytosis (MIA) and neutropenia (MIN), we conducted a retrospective multi-center collaboration including cases and controls from three European populations. Association analyses were performed using genome-wide genotyping data from a Swiss cohort (45 cases, 191 controls) followed by replication in two independent European cohorts (41 cases, 273 controls) and a joint discovery meta-analysis. No genome-wide significant associations (p < 1 × 10⁻⁷) were observed in the Swiss cohort or in the joint meta-analysis, and no candidate genes suggesting an immune-mediated mechanism were identified. In the joint meta-analysis of MIA cases across all cohorts, two candidate loci on chromosome 9 were identified, rs55898176 (OR = 4.01, 95%CI: 2.41–6.68, p = 1.01 × 10⁻⁷) and rs4427239 (OR = 5.47, 95%CI: 2.81–10.65, p = 5.75 × 10⁻⁷), of which the latter is located in the SVEP1 gene previously implicated in hematopoiesis. This first genome-wide association study for MIA identified suggestive associations with biological plausibility that may be used as a stepping-stone for post-GWAS analyses to gain further insight into the mechanism underlying MIA.

Muscle Toxicity of Drugs: When Drugs Turn Physiology into Pathophysiology

Drugs are prescribed to manage or prevent symptoms and diseases, but may sometimes cause unexpected toxicity to muscles. The symptomatology and clinical manifestations of the myotoxic reaction can vary significantly between drugs and between patients on the same drug. This poses a challenge on how to recognize and prevent the occurrence of drug-induced muscle toxicity. The key to appropriate management of myotoxicity is prompt recognition that symptoms of patients may be drug related and to be aware that inter-individual differences in susceptibility to drug-induced toxicity exist. The most prevalent and well-documented drug class with unintended myotoxicity are the statins, but even today new classes of drugs with unintended myotoxicity are being discovered. This review will start off by explaining the principles of drug-induced myotoxicity and the different terminologies used to distinguish between grades of toxicity. The main part of the review will focus on the most important pathogenic mechanisms by which drugs can cause muscle toxicity, which will be exemplified by drugs with high risk of muscle toxicity. This will be done by providing information on key clinical and laboratory aspects, muscle electromyography patterns and biopsy results, and pathological mechanism and management for a specific drug from each pathogenic classification. In addition, rather new classes of drugs with unintended myotoxicity will be highlighted. Furthermore, we will explain why it is so difficult to diagnose drug-induced myotoxicity, and which tests can be used as a diagnostic aid. Lastly, a brief description will be given of how to manage and treat drug-induced myotoxicity.

Genetic Basis of Delayed Hypersensitivity Reactions to Drugs in Jewish and Arab Populations

Genetic variation can affect drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and contribute to variability between individuals in response to medications. Specifically, differences in allele frequencies among individuals and ethnic groups have been associated with variation in their propensity to develop drug hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs). This article reviews the current knowledge on the genetic background of HSRs and its relevance to Jewish and Arab populations. The focus is on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and haplotypes as predictive markers of HSRs ("immunopharmacogenetics"), but other genes and alleles are described as well. Also discussed is the translation of the pharmacogenetic information to practice recommendations.

Mendelian randomization: a novel approach for the prediction of adverse drug events and drug repurposing opportunities

Identification of unintended drug effects, specifically drug repurposing opportunities and adverse drug events, maximizes the benefit of a drug and protects the health of patients. However, current observational research methods are subject to several biases. These include confounding by indication, reverse causality and missing data. We propose that Mendelian randomization (MR) offers a novel approach for the prediction of unintended drug effects. In particular, we advocate the synthesis of evidence from this method and other approaches, in the spirit of triangulation, to improve causal inferences concerning drug effects. MR addresses some of the limitations associated with the existing methods in this field. Furthermore, it can be applied either before or after approval of the drug, and could therefore prevent the potentially harmful exposure of patients in clinical trials and beyond. The potential of MR as a pharmacovigilance and drug repurposing tool is yet to be realized, and could both help prevent adverse drug events and identify novel indications for existing drugs in the future.

Nanomedicine safety in preclinical and clinical development: focus on idiosyncratic injection/infusion reactions

Injection/infusion reactions to nanopharmaceuticals (and particulate drug carriers) are idiosyncratic and well documented. The molecular basis of nanoparticle-mediated injection reactions is debatable, with two hypotheses as front-runners. The first is complement-activation-related 'pseudoallergy', where a causal role for nanoparticle-mediated complement activation in injection/infusion reactions is considered. However, the second hypothesis (the rapid phagocytic response hypothesis) states a transitional link from robust clearance of nanoparticles (NPs) from the blood by strategically placed responsive macrophages to adverse hemodynamic and cardiopulmonary reactions, regardless of complement activation. Here, I critically examine and discuss these hypotheses. Current experimentally derived evidence appears to be more in support of the rapid phagocytic response hypothesis than of the 'pseudoallergy' hypothesis.

Personalized medicine: Genetic risk prediction of drug response

Pharmacogenomics (PGx), a substantial component of "personalized medicine", seeks to understand each individual's genetic composition to optimize drug therapy -- maximizing beneficial drug response, while minimizing adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Drug responses are highly variable because innumerable factors contribute to ultimate phenotypic outcomes. Recent genome-wide PGx studies have provided some insight into genetic basis of variability in drug response. These can be grouped into three categories. [a] Monogenic (Mendelian) traits include early examples mostly of inherited disorders, and some severe (idiosyncratic) ADRs typically influenced by single rare coding variants. [b] Predominantly oligogenic traits represent variation largely influenced by a small number of major pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic genes. [c] Complex PGx traits resemble most multifactorial quantitative traits -- influenced by numerous small-effect variants, together with epigenetic effects and environmental factors. Prediction of monogenic drug responses is relatively simple, involving detection of underlying mutations; due to rarity of these events and incomplete penetrance, however, prospective tests based on genotype will have high false-positive rates, plus pharmacoeconomics will require justification. Prediction of predominantly oligogenic traits is slowly improving. Although a substantial fraction of variation can be explained by limited numbers of large-effect genetic variants, uncertainty in successful predictions and overall cost-benefit ratios will make such tests elusive for everyday clinical use. Prediction of complex PGx traits is almost impossible in the foreseeable future. Genome-wide association studies of large cohorts will continue to discover relevant genetic variants; however, these small-effect variants, combined, explain only a small fraction of phenotypic variance -- thus having limited predictive power and clinical utility.

Genome-wide study of resistant hypertension identified from electronic health records

Resistant hypertension is defined as high blood pressure that remains above treatment goals in spite of the concurrent use of three antihypertensive agents from different classes. Despite the important health consequences of resistant hypertension, few studies of resistant hypertension have been conducted. To perform a genome-wide association study for resistant hypertension, we defined and identified cases of resistant hypertension and hypertensives with treated, controlled hypertension among >47,500 adults residing in the US linked to electronic health records (EHRs) and genotyped as part of the electronic MEdical Records & GEnomics (eMERGE) Network. Electronic selection logic using billing codes, laboratory values, text queries, and medication records was used to identify resistant hypertension cases and controls at each site, and a total of 3,006 cases of resistant hypertension and 876 controlled hypertensives were identified among eMERGE Phase I and II sites. After imputation and quality control, a total of 2,530,150 SNPs were tested for an association among 2,830 multi-ethnic cases of resistant hypertension and 876 controlled hypertensives. No test of association was genome-wide significant in the full dataset or in the dataset limited to European American cases (n = 1,719) and controls (n = 708). The most significant finding was CLNK rs13144136 at p = 1.00x10^-6 (odds ratio = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.58–0.80) in the full dataset with similar results in the European American only dataset. We also examined whether SNPs known to influence blood pressure or hypertension also influenced resistant hypertension. None was significant after correction for multiple testing. These data highlight both the difficulties and the potential utility of EHR-linked genomic data to study clinically-relevant traits such as resistant hypertension.

Genome-Wide Association Studies for Idiosyncratic Drug-Induced Hepatotoxicity: Looking Back-Looking Forward to Next-Generation Innovation

Idiosyncratic drug-induced hepatotoxicity is a formidable challenge for rational drug discovery and development, as well as the science of personalized medicine. There is evidence that hereditary factors, in part, contribute to drug toxicity. This expert analysis and review offer the insights gained, and the challenges ahead, for genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of idiosyncratic drug-induced hepatotoxicity. Published articles on genome-wide and subsequent replication studies were systematically searched in the PubMed electronic database. We found that the genetic risk variants that were identified genome-wide, and replication confirmed, are mainly related to polymorphisms in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region that include HLA-DQB1*06:02 for amoxicillin-clavulanate, HLA-B*57:01 for flucloxacillin, HLA-DRB1*15:01 for lumiracoxib, and HLA-DRB1*07:01 for lapatinib and ximelagatran-induced hepatotoxicity. Additionally, polymorphisms in ST6 β-galactosamide α-2, 6-sialyltranferase-1 (ST6GAL1), which plays a role in systemic inflammatory response, and variants in intron of family with sequence similarity-65 member-B (FAM65B) that play roles in liver inflammation displayed association with flucloxacillin and antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity, respectively. Taken together, these GWAS findings offer molecular leads on the central role that the immune system plays in idiosyncratic drug-induced hepatotoxicity. We conclude the expert review with a brief discussion of the salient challenges ahead. These include, for example, the need for discursive discovery paradigms that incorporate alternating GWASs and candidate gene studies, as well as the study of the environtome, the entire complement of environmental factors, including science and innovation policies that enact on global society and the human host, and by extension, on susceptibility for idiosyncratic drug-induced hepatotoxicity.

Impact of New Genomic Technologies on Understanding Adverse Drug Reactions

It is well established that variations in genes can alter the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of a drug and immunological responses to it. Early advances in pharmacogenetics were made with traditional genetic techniques such as functional cloning of genes using knowledge gained from purified proteins, and candidate gene analysis. Over the past decade, techniques for analysing the human genome have accelerated greatly as knowledge and technological capabilities have grown. These techniques were initially focussed on understanding genetic factors of disease, but increasingly they are helping to clarify the genetic basis of variable drug responses and adverse drug reactions (ADRs). We examine genetic methods that have been applied to the understanding of ADRs, review the current state of knowledge of genetic factors that influence ADR development, and discuss how the application of genome-wide association studies and next-generation sequencing approaches is supporting and extending existing knowledge of pharmacogenetic processes leading to ADRs. Such approaches have identified single genes that are major contributing genetic risk factors for an ADR, (such as flucloxacillin and drug-induced liver disease), making pre-treatment testing a possibility. They have contributed to the identification of multiple genetic determinants of a single ADR, some involving both pharmacologic and immunological processes (such as phenytoin and severe cutaneous adverse reactions). They have indicated that rare genetic variants, often not previously reported, are likely to have more influence on the phenotype than common variants that have been traditionally tested for. The problem of genotype/phenotype discordance affecting the interpretation of pharmacogenetic screening and the future of genome-based testing applied to ADRs are also discussed.

Adverse drug reactions and organ damage: The liver

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is among the most challenging acute or chronic liver conditions to be handled by physicians. Despite its low incidence in the general population, DILI is a frequent cause of acute liver failure. As such, the possibility of DILI should be considered in all patients who present with acute liver damage, independent of any known pre-existing liver disease. DILI can be classified as intrinsic/dose-dependent (e.g., acetaminophen toxicity) or idiosyncratic/dose-independent, with the latter form being relatively uncommon. Amoxicillin-clavulanate is the antimicrobial that is most frequently associated with idiosyncratic DILI. Large, ongoing, prospective studies in western countries have reported other drugs associated with DILI, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, statins, and herbal and dietary supplements. An important safety issue, DILI is one of the most frequently cited reasons for cessation of drug development during or after preclinical studies and for withdrawal of a drug from the market. This review summarizes the epidemiology, risk factors, commonly implicated drugs, clinical features, and diagnosis of DILI, with the aim of aiding physicians in the management of this debated problem. Old and new biomarkers for DILI and pharmacogenetic studies are also described.

Clinical association between pharmacogenomics and adverse drug reactions

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a major public health concern and cause significant patient morbidity and mortality. Pharmacogenomics is the study of how genetic polymorphisms affect an individual's response to pharmacotherapy at the level of a whole genome. This article updates our knowledge on how genetic polymorphisms of important genes alter the risk of ADR occurrence after an extensive literature search. To date, at least 244 pharmacogenes identified have been associated with ADRs of 176 clinically used drugs based on PharmGKB. At least 28 genes associated with the risk of ADRs have been listed by the Food and Drug Administration as pharmacogenomic biomarkers. With the availability of affordable and reliable testing tools, pharmacogenomics looks promising to predict, reduce, and minimize ADRs in selected populations.

Transcriptomic variation of pharmacogenes in multiple human tissues and lymphoblastoid cell lines

Variation in the expression level and activity of genes involved in drug disposition and action (‘pharmacogenes') can affect drug response and toxicity, especially when in tissues of pharmacological importance. Previous studies have relied primarily on microarrays to understand gene expression differences, or have focused on a single tissue or small number of samples. The goal of this study was to use RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) to determine the expression levels and alternative splicing of 389 Pharmacogenomics Research Network pharmacogenes across four tissues (liver, kidney, heart and adipose) and lymphoblastoid cell lines, which are used widely in pharmacogenomics studies. Analysis of RNA-seq data from 139 different individuals across the 5 tissues (20–45 individuals per tissue type) revealed substantial variation in both expression levels and splicing across samples and tissue types. Comparison with GTEx data yielded a consistent picture. This in-depth exploration also revealed 183 splicing events in pharmacogenes that were previously not annotated. Overall, this study serves as a rich resource for the research community to inform biomarker and drug discovery and use.

Towards depersonalized abacavir therapy: chemical modification eliminates HLA-B*57 : 01-restricted CD8+ T-cell activation

OBJECTIVE

Exposure to abacavir is associated with T-cell-mediated hypersensitivity reactions in individuals carrying human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B57 : 01. To activate T cells, abacavir interacts directly with endogenous HLA-B57 : 01 and HLA-B57 : 01 expressed on the surface of antigen presenting cells. We have investigated whether chemical modification of abacavir can produce a molecule with antiviral activity that does not bind to HLA-B57 : 01 and activate T cells.

DESIGN

An interdisciplinary laboratory study using samples from human donors expressing HLA-B57 : 01. Researchers were blinded to the analogue structures and modelling data.

METHODS

Sixteen 6-amino substituted abacavir analogues were synthesized. Computational docking studies were completed to predict capacity for analogue binding within HLA-B57 : 01. Abacavir-responsive CD8 clones were generated to study the association between HLA-B57 : 01 analogue binding and T-cell activation. Antiviral activity and the direct inhibitory effect of analogues on proliferation were assessed.

RESULTS

Major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted CD8 clones proliferated and secreted IFNγ following abacavir binding to surface and endogenous HLA-B57 : 01. Several analogues retained antiviral activity and showed no overt inhibitory effect on proliferation, but displayed highly divergent antigen-driven T-cell responses. For example, abacavir and N-propyl abacavir were equally potent at activating clones, whereas the closely related analogues N-isopropyl and N-methyl isopropyl abacavir were devoid of T-cell activity. Docking abacavir analogues to HLA-B57 : 01 revealed a quantitative relationship between drug-protein binding and the T-cell response.

CONCLUSION

These studies demonstrate that the unwanted T-cell activity of abacavir can be eliminated whilst maintaining the favourable antiviral profile. The in-silico model provides a tool to aid the design of safer antiviral agents that may not require a personalized medicines approach to therapy.

Uncovering drug-responsive regulatory elements

Nucleotide changes in gene regulatory elements can have a major effect on interindividual differences in drug response. For example, by reviewing all published pharmacogenomic genome-wide association studies, we show here that 96.4% of the associated single nucleotide polymorphisms reside in noncoding regions. We discuss how sequencing technologies are improving our ability to identify drug response-associated regulatory elements genome-wide and to annotate nucleotide variants within them. We highlight specific examples of how nucleotide changes in these elements can affect drug response and illustrate the techniques used to find them and functionally characterize them. Finally, we also discuss challenges in the field of drug-responsive regulatory elements that need to be considered in order to translate these findings into the clinic.

Biomarker-based drug safety assessment in the age of systems pharmacology: from foundational to regulatory science

Improved biomarker-based assessment of drug safety is needed in drug discovery and development as well as regulatory evaluation. However, identifying drug safety-related biomarkers such as genes, proteins, miRNA and single-nucleotide polymorphisms remains a big challenge. The advances of 'omics' and computational technologies such as genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics, systems biology, network biology and systems pharmacology enable us to explore drug actions at the organ and organismal levels. Computational and experimental systems pharmacology approaches could be utilized to facilitate biomarker-based drug safety assessment for drug discovery and development and to inform better regulatory decisions. In this article, we review the current status and advances of systems pharmacology approaches for the development of predictive models to identify biomarkers for drug safety assessment.

Relationships Between Pharmacovigilance, Molecular, Structural, and Pathway Data: Revealing Mechanisms for Immune-Mediated Drug-Induced Liver Injury

Immune-mediated drug-induced liver injury (IMDILI) can be devastating, irreversible, and fatal in the absence of successful transplantation surgery. We present a novel approach that combines the methods of pharmacoepidemiology with in silico molecular modeling to identify specific features in toxic ligands that are associated with clinical features of IMDILI. Specifically, from pharmacovigilance data multivariate logistic regression identified 18 drugs associated with IMDILI (P < 0.00015). Eleven of these drugs, along with their known and proposed metabolites, constituted a training set used to develop a four-point pharmacophore model (sensitivity 75%; specificity 85%). Subsequently, this information was combined with information from immune-pathway reviews and genetic-association studies and complemented with ligand-protein docking simulations to support a hypothesis implicating two putative targets within separate, possibly interacting, immune-system pathways: the major histocompatibility complex within the adaptive immune system and Toll-like receptors (TLRs), in particular TLR-7, which represent pattern recognition receptors of the innate immune system.

Progress in understanding the genomic basis for adverse drug reactions: a comprehensive review and focus on the role of ethnicity

A major goal of the field of pharmacogenomics is to identify the genomic causes of serious adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Increasingly, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been used to achieve this goal. In this article, we review recent progress in the identification of genetic variants associated with ADRs using GWAS and discuss emerging themes from these studies. We also compare aspects of GWAS for ADRs to GWAS for common diseases. In the second part of the article, we review progress in performing pharmacogenomic research in multi-ethnic populations and discuss the challenges and opportunities of investigating genetic causes of ADRs in ethnically diverse patient populations.

Treatment of PD-1(-/-) mice with amodiaquine and anti-CTLA4 leads to liver injury similar to idiosyncratic liver injury in patients

The mechanism of idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (IDILI) remains poorly understood, to a large degree because of the lack of a valid animal model. Recently, we reported an animal model in which treatment of female C57BL/6 mice with amodiaquine (AQ) resulted in mild liver injury with a delayed onset and resolution despite continued treatment. Such adaptation is a common outcome in the IDILI caused by drugs that can cause liver failure. We had hypothesized that most IDILI is immune-mediated and adaptation represents immune tolerance. In this study we found that AQ treatment of Cbl-b(-/-) and PD-1(-/-) mice, which have impaired immune tolerance, resulted in a slightly greater injury. Cotreatment of C57BL/6 with AQ and anti-CTLA4 also resulted in a greater increase in ALT than treatment with AQ alone; however, these mice also had an increase in T regulatory (Treg) cells and T helper cells expressing PD-1 and CTLA4. The increase in these cells implies the induction of immune tolerance, and the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity in these mice returned to normal despite continued treatment. Cotreatment of PD-1(-/-) mice with anti-CTLA4 antibody and AQ resulted in the greatest increase in ALT (200-300 U/L), and necroinflammatory responses characterized by portal infiltration of lymphocytes with interface hepatitis. The lymphocyte infiltration included T and B cells, and the CD8(+) T cells produced perforin and granzyme. In addition, the ALT activity in PD-1(-/-) mice cotreated with anti-CTLA4 antibody and AQ did not return to normal, as it had in other mice.

CONCLUSION

We report here the first animal model of IDILI that is similar to the IDILI that occurs in humans, and it was accomplished by inhibiting immune tolerance.

Dilemmas of the causality assessment tools in the diagnosis of adverse drug reactions

Importance: Basic essence of Pharmacovigilance is prevention of ADRs and its precise diagnosis is crucially a primary step, which still remains a challenge among clinicians. Objective: This study is undertaken with the objective to scrutinize and offer a notion of commonly used as well as recently developed methods of causality assessment tools for the diagnosis of adverse drug reactions and discuss their pros and cons. Evidence review: Overall 49 studies were recognized for all assessment methods with five major decisive factors of causality evaluation, all the information regarding reasons allocating causality, the advantages and limitations of the appraisal methods were extracted and scrutinized. Findings: From epidemiological information a past prospect is designed and subsequent possibility merged this background information with a clue in the individual case to crop up with an approximation of causation. Expert judgment is typically based on the decisive factor on which algorithms are based, nevertheless in imprecise manner. The probabilistic methods use the similar principle; however connect probabilities to each measure. Such approaches are quite skeptical and liable to generate cloudy causation results. Causation is quite intricate to ascertain than correlation in Pharmacovigilance due to numerous inherent shortcomings in causality assessment tools. Conclusions and relevance: We suggest that there is a need to develop a high quality assessment tool which can meticulously establish suitable diagnostic criteria for ADRs with universal acceptance to improvise the fundamental aspect of drug safety and evade the impending ADRs with the motive to convert Pharmacovigilance into a state of art.

Safety of Nanoparticles in Medicine

Nanomedicine involves the use of nanoparticles for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. During the past two decades, a growing number of nanomedicines have received regulatory approval and many more show promise for future clinical translation. In this context, it is important to evaluate the safety of nanoparticles in order to achieve biocompatibility and desired activity. However, it is unwarranted to make generalized statements regarding the safety of nanoparticles, since the field of nanomedicine comprises a multitude of different manufactured nanoparticles made from various materials. Indeed, several nanotherapeutics that are currently approved, such as Doxil and Abraxane, exhibit fewer side effects than their small molecule counterparts, while other nanoparticles (e.g. metallic and carbon-based particles) tend to display toxicity. However, the hazardous nature of certain nanomedicines could be exploited for the ablation of diseased tissue, if selective targeting can be achieved. This review discusses the mechanisms for molecular, cellular, organ, and immune system toxicity, which can be observed with a subset of nanoparticles. Strategies for improving the safety of nanoparticles by surface modification and pretreatment with immunomodulators are also discussed. Additionally, important considerations for nanoparticle safety assessment are reviewed. In regards to clinical application, stricter regulations for the approval of nanomedicines might not be required. Rather, safety evaluation assays should be adjusted to be more appropriate for engineered nanoparticles.

Complicity of haem in some adverse drug-reactions

Genetic variants in haem metabolism enzymes can be predisposition factors for adverse reactions in some individuals. New areas of haem biology may also be associated with idiosyncratic effects which are yet to be identified.

How drugs get into cells: tested and testable predictions to help discriminate between transporter-mediated uptake and lipoidal bilayer diffusion

One approach to experimental science involves creating hypotheses, then testing them by varying one or more independent variables, and assessing the effects of this variation on the processes of interest. We use this strategy to compare the intellectual status and available evidence for two models or views of mechanisms of transmembrane drug transport into intact biological cells. One (BDII) asserts that lipoidal phospholipid Bilayer Diffusion Is Important, while a second (PBIN) proposes that in normal intact cells Phospholipid Bilayer diffusion Is Negligible (i.e., may be neglected quantitatively), because evolution selected against it, and with transmembrane drug transport being effected by genetically encoded proteinaceous carriers or pores, whose “natural” biological roles, and substrates are based in intermediary metabolism. Despite a recent review elsewhere, we can find no evidence able to support BDII as we can find no experiments in intact cells in which phospholipid bilayer diffusion was either varied independently or measured directly (although there are many papers where it was inferred by seeing a covariation of other dependent variables). By contrast, we find an abundance of evidence showing cases in which changes in the activities of named and genetically identified transporters led to measurable changes in the rate or extent of drug uptake. PBIN also has considerable predictive power, and accounts readily for the large differences in drug uptake between tissues, cells and species, in accounting for the metabolite-likeness of marketed drugs, in pharmacogenomics, and in providing a straightforward explanation for the late-stage appearance of toxicity and of lack of efficacy during drug discovery programmes despite macroscopically adequate pharmacokinetics. Consequently, the view that Phospholipid Bilayer diffusion Is Negligible (PBIN) provides a starting hypothesis for assessing cellular drug uptake that is much better supported by the available evidence, and is both more productive and more predictive.

Pharmacogenetics of cancer drugs

The variability in treatment outcomes among patients receiving the same therapy for seemingly similar tumors can be attributed in part to genetics. The tumor's (somatic) genome largely dictates the effectiveness of the therapy, and the patient's (germline) genome influences drug exposure and the patient's sensitivity to toxicity. Many potentially clinically useful associations have been discovered between common germline genetic polymorphisms and outcomes of cancer treatment. This review highlights the germline pharmacogenetic associations that are currently being used to guide cancer treatment decisions, those that are most likely to someday be clinically useful, and associations that are well known but their roles in clinical management are not yet certain. In the future, germline genetic information will likely be available from tumor genetic analyses, creating an efficient opportunity to integrate the two genomes to optimize treatment outcomes for each individual cancer patient.

The association between HLA-DQB1 polymorphism and antituberculosis drug-induced liver injury: a Case-Control Study

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE

Research on genetic factors associated with antitubercular drug-induced liver injuries (ATLI) has been reported. However, most of the research has focused on genetic polymorphisms of genes encoding metabolic enzymes, including NAT2, GST and CYP450. It is probable that the immune system also contributes to the onset of drug adverse effects. A few small studies have explored the possible association of HLA genes with drug-induced liver injuries (DILI), but more supportive evidence from larger studies or prospective cohort designs is needed. We aim to explore the possible association of HLA-DQB1 gene polymorphisms with ATLI in a case-control study.

METHODS

A case-control study design was used. ATLI was recorded in a prospectively followed-up cohort of patients receiving antituberculosis treatment. Identified cases were matched with control tuberculosis patients within the same cohort but with no adverse effects in 1 : 1 ratio. We used the sequence-based typing method to determine the HLA-DQB1 genotypes. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using conditional logistic regression.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Eighty-nine cases were included in this case-control study. HLA-DQB1 typing was successful for 177 subjects. No association between frequency of HLA-DQB1 genotypes and ATLI was statistically significant in univariate analyses. Multivariate analysis using the conditional logistic regression model revealed that the individuals with two DQB1*05 alleles were at higher risk of ATLI than control subjects. The OR was 5.28 adjusted for use of liver protective drugs and weight (10/88 VS 2/88, 95% CI: 1.134-24.615, P = 0.034). Analysis according to the liver injury type showed that both mixed liver injury patients and cholestatic/mixed liver injury patients had higher proportions of DQB1*05 : 02 alleles (P values were 0.028 and 0.005, respectively).

WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION

This study suggests that ATLI was more likely in subjects of HLA-DQB1*05/*05 genotype. Further studies are needed to verify this association.

Progress towards the integration of pharmacogenomics in practice

Understanding the role genes and genetic variants play in clinical treatment response continues to be an active area of research with the goal of common clinical use. This goal has developed into today's industry of pharmacogenomics, where new drug-gene relationships are discovered and further characterized, published and then curated into national and international resources for use by researchers and clinicians. These efforts have given us insight into what a pharmacogenomic variant is, and how it differs from human disease variants and common polymorphisms. While publications continue to reveal pharmacogenomic relationships between genes and specific classes of drugs, many challenges remain toward the goal of widespread use clinically. First, the clinical guidelines for pharmacogenomic testing are still in their infancy. Second, sequencing technologies are changing rapidly making it somewhat unclear what genetic data will be available to the clinician at the time of care. Finally, what and when to return data to a patient is an area under constant debate. New innovations such as PheWAS approaches and whole genome sequencing studies are enabling a tsunami of new findings. In this review, pharmacogenomic variants, pharmacogenomic resources, interpretation clinical guidelines and challenges, such as WGS approaches, and the impact of pharmacogenomics on drug development and regulatory approval are reviewed.

Personalized pharmacogenomics: predicting efficacy and adverse drug reactions

Drug response varies between individuals owing to disease heterogeneity, environmental factors, and genetic factors. Genetic factors can affect both the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a drug, leading to changes in local and systemic drug exposure and/or changes in the function of the drug target, altering drug response. Several pharmacogenetic biomarkers are already utilized in clinical practice and have been shown to improve clinical outcomes. However, a large number of other biomarkers have never made it beyond the discovery stage. Concerted effort is needed to improve the translation of pharmacogenetic biomarkers into clinical practice, and this will involve the use of standardized phenotyping and genotyping strategies, collaborative work, multidisciplinary approaches to identifying and replicating associations, and cooperation with industry to facilitate translation and commercialization. Acceptance of these approaches by clinicians, regulators, patients, and the public will be important in determining future success.

Factors affecting the development of adverse drug reactions (Review article)

OBJECTIVES

To discuss the effect of certain factors on the occurrence of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs).

DATA SOURCES

A systematic review of the literature in the period between 1991 and 2012 was made based on PubMed, the Cochrane database of systematic reviews, EMBASE and IDIS. Key words used were: medication error, adverse drug reaction, iatrogenic disease factors, ambulatory care, primary health care, side effects and treatment hazards.

SUMMARY

Many factors play a crucial role in the occurrence of ADRs, some of these are patient related, drug related or socially related factors. Age for instance has a very critical impact on the occurrence of ADRs, both very young and very old patients are more vulnerable to these reactions than other age groups. Alcohol intake also has a crucial impact on ADRs. Other factors are gender, race, pregnancy, breast feeding, kidney problems, liver function, drug dose and frequency and many other factors. The effect of these factors on ADRs is well documented in the medical literature. Taking these factors into consideration during medical evaluation enables medical practitioners to choose the best drug regimen.

CONCLUSION

Many factors affect the occurrence of ADRs. Some of these factors can be changed like smoking or alcohol intake others cannot be changed like age, presence of other diseases or genetic factors. Understanding the different effects of these factors on ADRs enables healthcare professionals to choose the most appropriate medication for that particular patient. It also helps the healthcare professionals to give the best advice to patients. Pharmacogenomics is the most recent science which emphasizes the genetic predisposition of ADRs. This innovative science provides a new perspective in dealing with the decision making process of drug selection.

Negative regulation by PD-L1 during drug-specific priming of IL-22-secreting T cells and the influence of PD-1 on effector T cell function

Activation of PD-1 on T cells is thought to inhibit Ag-specific T cell priming and regulate T cell differentiation. Thus, we sought to measure the drug-specific activation of naive T cells after perturbation of PD-L1/2/PD-1 binding and investigate whether PD-1 signaling influences the differentiation of T cells. Priming of naive CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells against drug Ags was found to be more effective when PD-L1 signaling was blocked. Upon restimulation, T cells proliferated more vigorously and secreted increased levels of IFN-γ, IL-13, and IL-22 but not IL-17. Naive T cells expressed low levels of PD-1; however, a transient increase in PD-1 expression was observed during drug-specific T cell priming. Next, drug-specific responses from in vitro primed T cell clones and clones from hypersensitive patients were measured and correlated with PD-1 expression. All clones were found to secrete IFN-γ, IL-5, and IL-13. More detailed analysis revealed two different cytokine signatures. Clones secreted either FasL/IL-22 or granzyme B. The FasL/IL-22-secreting clones expressed the skin-homing receptors CCR4, CCR10, and CLA and migrated in response to CCL17/CCL27. PD-1 was stably expressed at different levels on clones; however, PD-1 expression did not correlate with the strength of the Ag-specific proliferative response or the secretion of cytokines/cytolytic molecules. This study shows that PD-L1/PD-1 binding negatively regulates the priming of drug-specific T cells. ELISPOT analysis uncovered an Ag-specific FasL/IL-22-secreting T cell subset with skin-homing properties.

Digging up the human genome: current progress in deciphering adverse drug reactions

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a major clinical problem. In addition to their clinical impact on human health, there is an enormous cost associated with ADRs in health care and pharmaceutical industry. Increasing studies revealed that genetic variants can determine the susceptibility of individuals to ADRs. The development of modern genomic technologies has led to a tremendous advancement of improving the drug safety and efficacy and minimizing the ADRs. This review will discuss the pharmacogenomic techniques used to unveil the determinants of ADRs and summarize the current progresses concerning the identification of biomarkers for ADRs, with a focus on genetic variants for genes encoding drug-metabolizing enzymes, drug-transporter proteins, and human leukocyte antigen (HLA). The knowledge gained from these cutting-edge findings will form the basis for better prediction and management for ADRs, ultimately making the medicine personalized.

Pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocyte-like cells

Liver disease is an important clinical problem, impacting over 30 million Americans and over 600 million people worldwide. It is the 12th leading cause of death in the United States and the 16th worldwide. Due to a paucity of donor organs, several thousand Americans die yearly while waiting for liver transplantation. Unfortunately, alternative tissue sources such as fetal hepatocytes and hepatic cell lines are unreliable, difficult to reproduce, and do not fully recapitulate hepatocyte phenotype and functions. As a consequence, alternative cell sources that do not have these limitations have been sought. Human embryonic stem (hES) cell- and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived hepatocyte-like cells may enable cell based therapeutics, the study of the mechanisms of human disease and human development, and provide a platform for screening the efficacy and toxicity of pharmaceuticals. iPS cells can be differentiated in a step-wise fashion with high efficiency and reproducibility into hepatocyte-like cells that exhibit morphologic and phenotypic characteristics of hepatocytes. In addition, iPS-derived hepatocyte-like cells (iHLCs) possess some functional hepatic activity as they secrete urea, alpha-1-antitrypsin, and albumin. However, the combined phenotypic and functional traits exhibited by iHLCs resemble a relatively immature hepatic phenotype that more closely resembles that of fetal hepatocytes rather than adult hepatocytes. Specifically, iHLCs express fetal markers such as alpha-fetoprotein and lack key mature hepatocyte functions, as reflected by drastically reduced activity (~0.1%) of important detoxification enzymes (i.e. CYP2A6, CYP3A4). These key differences between iHLCs and primary adult human hepatocytes have limited the use of stem cells as a renewable source of functional adult hepatocytes for in vitro and in vivo applications. Unfortunately, the developmental pathways that control hepatocyte maturation from a fetal into an adult hepatocyte are poorly understood, which has hampered the field in its efforts to induce further maturation of iPS-derived hepatic lineage cells. This review analyzes recent developments in the derivation of hepatocyte-like cells, and proposes important points to consider and assays to perform during their characterization. In the future, we envision that iHLCs will be used as in vitro models of human disease, and in the longer term, provide an alternative cell source for drug testing and clinical therapy.

Managing the risk of drug-induced liver injury

In clinical trials, bosentan was shown to cause significant drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in some patients. Because it is not possible to identify those at higher risk for DILI, all patients to be treated with bosentan must enroll in a program requiring documentation of liver blood testing before they can receive the drug. Because this program is costly and is perceived as onerous, a genetic test capable of identifying susceptible individuals would probably be rapidly adopted by physicians.

Hepatotoxicity of antibiotics: a review and update for the clinician

Collectively, the various classes of antibiotics are a leading cause of drug-induced liver injury (DILI). However, acute antibiotic-associated DILI can be difficult to diagnose, as the course of therapy is usually brief, and other confounding factors are often present. In addition to the broad clinicopathologic spectrum of hepatotoxicity associated with the antimicrobials, the underlying infectious disease being treated may itself be associated with hepatic dysfunction and jaundice. This review provides summarized information on several classes of antimicrobial agents, highlighting new agents causing DILI and updating information on older agents.

Genetic risk factors for drug-induced liver injury in rheumatoid arthritis patients using low-dose methotrexate

Low-dose methotrexate (MTX) is part of the mainstay of rheumatoid arthritis treatment. Hepatotoxicity is among the most feared side effects of low-dose MTX and is associated with increased morbidity. At present, histological evaluation of liver biopsies is the gold standard to retrospectively diagnose MTX-induced liver damage. Genetic markers present an interesting opportunity to preemptively identify patients at risk for MTX-induced hepatotoxicity. Here, we will review the literature on candidate genetic markers for the risk of MTX-induced hepatotoxicity. These candidate genetic markers include polymorphisms in the gene encoding the enzyme MTHFR.

Comparative epidemiology of hospital-acquired adverse drug reactions in adults and children and their impact on cost and hospital stay--a systematic review

PURPOSE

To study and analyze the comparative impact of hospital-acquired adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in adult and pediatric patients in terms of the economic implications, (length of) hospital stay, and salient features in relation to the incidence rate, severity, morbidity, mortality, and preventability of the ADRs.

METHODS

A systematic search to identify and retrieve relevant articles/studies in the PubMed, Medline, Scopus, MEDPAR, and Cochrane databases and by the Google search engine was performed for the study period 2000 to April 2013. In total, 51 studies were identified on patients hospitalized for ADRs, and these were included in the study. The incidence rate of ADRs, their severity, mortality, morbidity, preventability, cost, and association with extended hospital stay due to ADRs were extracted and scrutinized.

RESULTS

Hospital-acquired ADRs are more widely studied in adults than in children, and the incidence rate is higher in the former. However, a wide variation in the incidence rate worldwide is observed in both groups. Irrespective of the ages of patients, ADRs are among the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality. Interestingly, preventable ADRs are more frequently observed in patients at the younger and older ends of the age spectrum. Hospital-acquired ADRs place an immense economic burden on healthcare systems, with the overall cost for a hospitalized patient with an ADR reported to be $2,401 per patient, which is equivalent to a 19.86 % additional increase in the total cost of care and an increase in average length of hospital stay of 8.25 %.

CONCLUSION

Based on the findings of this review, we suggest that excellent assertive measures of pharmacovigilance with the aim to diminish the incidence rate of hospital-acquired ADRs and support the development of interventions are needed to promote vital facets of drug safety with an overall objective to avert potential ADRs.

Personalizing health care: feasibility and future implications

Considerable variety in how patients respond to treatments, driven by differences in their geno- and/ or phenotypes, calls for a more tailored approach. This is already happening, and will accelerate with developments in personalized medicine. However, its promise has not always translated into improvements in patient care due to the complexities involved. There are also concerns that advice for tests has been reversed, current tests can be costly, there is fragmentation of funding of care, and companies may seek high prices for new targeted drugs. There is a need to integrate current knowledge from a payer's perspective to provide future guidance. Multiple findings including general considerations; influence of pharmacogenomics on response and toxicity of drug therapies; value of biomarker tests; limitations and costs of tests; and potentially high acquisition costs of new targeted therapies help to give guidance on potential ways forward for all stakeholder groups. Overall, personalized medicine has the potential to revolutionize care. However, current challenges and concerns need to be addressed to enhance its uptake and funding to benefit patients.