Study of the allelic variants CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3 in samples of the Peruvian mestizo population

Introduction: CYP2C9 metabolizes approximately 15% of the prescribed drugs. Its gene has alleles whose frequencies differ between ethnic groups and populations. The alleles CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3 account for an enzyme with decreased activity and their frequencies have not been determined in the Peruvian mestizo population. Objective: To characterize the frequencies of the allelic variants *2 (rs1799853) and *3 (rs1057910) of CYP2C9 gen in the Peruvian mestizo population from Lima, Tacna y Junín. Materials and methods: We conducted an observational, prospective cross-sectional study with non-probabilistic, by convenience, and incidental sampling. We included 218 subjects according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, all of whom had signed the informed consent. We obtained the genomic DNA from oral mucosa swab. For the detection of the CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3 genotypes, we used real-time-polymerase chain reaction with TaqMan® probes. Results: The genotyping revealed that CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3 variants have low frequencies (0.046 and 0.062, respectively). The frequency of intermediate metabolizers was 15.13% (CYP2C9*1/*2: 5.96%; CYP2C9*1/*3: 9.17%) and that of slow metabolizers was 3.22% (CYP2C9*2/*2: 1.38%; CYP2C9*3/*3: 1.38%; CYP2C9*2/*3: 0.46%). Conclusions: It was possible to determine the genotypic and allelic frequencies for the variants *2 and *3 of the CYP2C9 gene in a non-probabilistic sample of the Peruvian mestizo population. The frequencies obtained (0.046 and 0.062, respectively) corresponded to those expected for a South American mestizo population with Amerindian, European, African and Asian ancestry.