Prevalence of the Genetic Mutation CYP2C8*5 in Selected Ethnic Groups in Southern Ghana

Aim: The study determined prevalence of clinically relevant CYP2C8*5 polymorphism in 80 unrelated individuals, from selected ethnic groups in Southern Ghana. Medical history on adverse drug reactions of the subjects and level of dependency on drugs metabolized by CYP2C8 enzyme was obtained by questionnaire. Allele Specific-PCR analyses were used to genotype CYP2C8*5 alleles in the study subjects.

Results: Allelic frequency for CYP2C8*5 was 83.75% which was statistically significant (p<0.05). There was no significant difference (p> 0.05) in the prevalence of CYP2C8*5 allele within the ethnic groups. Also, there was no significant association (p >0.05) between CYP2C8*5 allele and reported ADRs. Many (88.75%) of the study subjects depended highly (>1-3x in a year) on drugs metabolized by CYP2C8.

Conclusions: The high prevalence of CYP2C8*5 determined in the study population may indicate a high risk of toxicity in using drugs metabolize by CYP2C8 since CYP2C8*5 mutants have been reported to have a reduced enzymatic activity. This is the first reported study on prevalence of CYP2C8*5 in Ghanaians.