Initiation of warfarin therapy using trial-and-error dosing is problematic. our goal was to develop and validate a pharmacogenetic algorithm. in the derivation cohort of 1,015 participants, the independent predictors of therapeutic dose were: VKORC1 polymorphism −1639/3673 g>a (−28% per allele), body surface area (Bsa) (+11% per 0.25 m 2 ), CYP2C9*3 (−33% per allele), CYP2C9*2 (−19% per allele), age (−7% per decade), target international normalized ratio (inr) (+11% per 0.5 unit increase), amiodarone use (−22%), smoker status (+10%), race (−9%), and current thrombosis (+7%). This pharmacogenetic equation explained 53−54% of the variability in the warfarin dose in the derivation and validation (N = 292) cohorts. For comparison, a clinical equation explained only 17−22% of the dose variability (P < 0.001). in the validation cohort, we prospectively used the pharmacogenetic-dosing algorithm in patients initiating warfarin therapy, two of whom had a major hemorrhage. To facilitate use of these pharmacogenetic and clinical algorithms, we developed a nonprofit website, http://www.WarfarinDosing.org.Correspondence: BF Gage (E-mail: bgage@im.wustl.edu). CONFLICT OF INTEREST Dr Gage has consulted for Bristol-Myers Squibb on work unrelated to this article. Drs Rieder and Rettie report having applied for a patent (application serial no. 10/967,879) on the use of VKORC1 haplotypes and SNPs. The other authors declared no conflict of interest. NIH Public Access RESULTSIn the derivation cohort (N = 1,015), the daily therapeutic warfarin dose ranged from 1 to 18 mg/day. The mean age was 65 (range of 18−93); 83% were Caucasian, and 64% were male. The (geometric) mean daily warfarin dose was 4.8 mg ( Table 1). The most common indications for warfarin therapy were atrial fibrillation (N = 392) and prior venous thromboembolism (N = 376; 13 of whom also had atrial fibrillation). Patients in the validation cohort (N = 292) were younger, more often female, and had more often (77%) undergone joint replacement as their indication for warfarin therapy (Table 1).VKORC1 alleles were highly heterogeneous (Table 2), reflecting their original selection as common (>5% allele frequency), informative tagging SNPs (Table 2). 12 VKORC1 3673G>A was in high linkage disequilibrium with VKORC1 6853G>C (D' = 0.97). In both cohorts, all alleles were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Genotype data from all participants at Washington University and University of Florida have been submitted to the PharmGKB (accession numbers: PS207479 and PS207480 pending). Pharmacogenetic model developmentThe VKORC1 3673G>A SNP was the first variable to enter the stepwise regression model (Table 3); each VKORC1 3673A allele was associated with a 28% reduction (95% confidence interval 25−30%) in the therapeutic warfarin dose. Once VKORC1 3673G>A entered the model, none of the other VKORC1 SNPs was an independent predictor of warfarin dose. Body surface area (BSA) was the second variable to enter the model, and each 0.25 m 2 increase in BSA was associated with an 11% ...

Background-Well characterized genes affecting warfarin metabolism (CYP2C9) and sensitivity (VKORC1) explain one-third of the variability in therapeutic dose before the International Normalized Ratio (INR) is measured.

IntroductionWarfarin sodium is characterized by a narrow therapeutic range (eg, an international normalized ratio [INR]) of 2.0-3.0), a marked interindividual variation in dosing requirements, and an increased risk of adverse events when the dose is too high or low. 1,2 To minimize the high incidence of such events, [3][4][5] particularly during the first few weeks of initiating therapy, 1,6 most guidelines recommend prescribing warfarin at or near the anticipated maintenance dose and then adjusting the dose by trial and error. 1,7,8 While algorithms for predicting this maintenance dose a priori have improved, [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] there remains little guidance on how this starting dose should be adjusted a posteriori based on the subsequent INR values. We hypothesized that use of genetic markers could help optimize these dose refinements.Two common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C9 system are associated with impaired metabolism of warfarin, [3][4][5][6]11,17 while SNPs in the gene for vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1 (VKORC1) correlate with warfarin sensitivity and resistance. 2,[18][19][20] No prior study has examined the impact of these SNPs on warfarin-dose adjustments. Given the current knowledge about these markers, we hypothesize that for a given INR, a patient who is a slow metabolizer of warfarin may need a more cautious adjustment in their dose than a similar patient who is a normal metabolizer. Failure to tailor dose refinements during warfarin induction in poor metabolizers may have contributed to the 3-fold increased risk of (laboratory or clinical) adverse events among poor metabolizers in our initial prospective study of pharmacogenetic-based warfarin therapy. 4 The purpose of this study was to develop a dose-refinement nomogram to guide clinicians in adjusting warfarin doses. This nomogram would be similar to prior algorithms, 21,22 but will have 2 advantages: (1) it will allow for, but not require, a first dose that is tailored to clinical and/or genetic factors and (2) it will incorporate genetics and clinical factors that are independent predictors of how much the dose should be refined. 1,11 If successful, the proposed warfarin nomogram would simplify and standardize warfarin initiation. Patients, materials, and methodsThe study was a retrospective analysis of 2 cohorts of orthopedic surgery patients who had participated in 2 prospective studies of pharmacogeneticbased warfarin therapy. The Human Research Protection Office at Washington University Medical Center approved these studies. PatientsFor patients in both cohorts, we offered participation if they were scheduled for primary or revision total knee or hip arthroplasty at Washington University Medical Center and if they were 18 years or older. We excluded patients who had previously taken warfarin or who had contraindications to warfarin treatment. To allow time for genotyping, we also excluded patients scheduled for surgery fewer than 7 days following referral to our anticoagulation s...

Summary. Background: Warfarin is commonly prescribed for prophylaxis and treatment of thromboembolism after orthopedic surgery. During warfarin initiation, out-of-range International Normalized Ratio (INR) values and adverse events are common. Methods: In orthopedic patients beginning warfarin therapy, we developed and prospectively validated pharmacogenetic and clinical dose refinement algorithms to revise the estimated therapeutic dose after 4 days of therapy. Results: The pharmacogenetic algorithm used the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C9 genotype, smoking status, peri-operative blood loss, liver disease, INR values and dose history to predict the therapeutic dose. The R 2 was 82% in a derivation cohort (n = 86) and 70% when used prospectively (n = 146). The R 2 of the clinical algorithm that used INR values and dose history to predict the therapeutic dose was 57% in a derivation cohort (n = 178) and 48% in a prospective validation cohort (n = 146). In 1 month of prospective follow-up, the percent time spent in the therapeutic range was 7% higher (95% CI: 2.7-11.7) in the pharmacogenetic cohort. The risk of a laboratory or clinical adverse event was also significantly reduced in the pharmacogenetic cohort (Hazard Ratio 0.54; 95% CI: 0.30-0.97). Conclusions: Warfarin dose adjustments that incorporate genotype and clinical variables available after four warfarin doses are accurate. In this non-randomized, prospective study, pharmacogenetic dose refinements were associated with more time spent in the therapeutic range and fewer laboratory or clinical adverse events. To facilitate gene-guided warfarin dosing we created a non-profit website, http://www.WarfarinDosing.org.

Background Warfarin demonstrates wide interindividual variability that is partly mediated by variants in CYP2C9 and VKORC1. Whether variants in CALU (vitamin K reductase regulator) influence warfarin dose is unknown. Methods and Results We resequenced CALU regions in a discovery cohort of dose-outliers: patients with high(>90th percentile, n=55) or low(<10th percentile, n=53) dose requirements(after accounting for known genetic and nongenetic variables). One CALU variant, rs339097, was associated with high-doses(p=0.01). We validated this variant as a predictor of higher warfarin doses in two replication cohorts: 1)496 patients of mixed ethnicity, 2)194 African-American patients. The G allele of rs339097(African-American and Caucasian allele frequency 0.14 and 0.002, respectively), was associated with a 14.5%(SD±7%) greater therapeutic dose(p=0.03) in the first replication cohort and a higher than predicted dose in the second replication cohort(allele frequency=0.14, one-sided p=0.03). Conclusions CALU rs339097 A>G is associated with higher warfarin dose requirements independent of known genetic and nongenetic predictors of warfarin dose in African-Americans.