SummaryWe investigated whether the 2677G>T ⁄ A and 3435C>T polymorphisms of adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1) affect the efficacy of ondansetron to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting. One hundred and ninety-eight patients undergoing general anaesthesia were enrolled. Thirty minutes before the end of surgery, 0.1 mg.kgondansetron was administered intravenously. The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was compared between genotypes in the 2677G>T ⁄ A and 3435C>T polymorphisms of ABCB1. The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was lower in patients with the 2677TT genotype (TT vs Non-TT = 25.9% vs 53.0%, p = 0.01) and 3435TT genotype (CC + CT vs TT = 52.6% vs 21.7%, p = 0.01) during the first 2 h after surgery. There were no significant differences in the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting between the different genotype groupings during period between 2 and 24 h after surgery. In conclusion, ABCB1 genotypes may be a clinical predictor of responsiveness for ondansetron. Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common and distressing complication in patients undergoing general anaesthesia. The incidence ranges between 20% and 30%, but is as high as 80% in high-risk patients [1] and may cause significant complications [2]. Although the exact mechanism of PONV is not clear, it is known that the chemoreceptor trigger zone in the area postrema plays an important role, in which the 5-hydroxytryptamine type-3 (5-HT 3 ) receptor is involved in the occurrence of PONV [3].Currently, 5-HT 3 receptor antagonists such as ondansetron are widely used for prevention and treatment of PONV and although these agents have a significant effect, over 35% of patients treated with ondansetron may still experience PONV [4,5]. We hypothesised that polymorphism in the adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1), an encoding gene of transporter for ondansetron in the brain-blood barrier [6], would contribute to such inter-individual variation.In a previous study, the 3435C>T single nucleotide polymorphism of ABCB1 was associated with the efficacy of 5-HT 3 receptor antagonists for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting [7]. Therefore, we investigated whether the 2677G>T ⁄ A, and 3435C>T polymorphisms of ABCB1 affect the efficacy of ondansetron in preventing PONV in patients undergoing general anaesthesia.
MethodsThis study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Yonsei University Hospital. Written informed consent was obtained from each patient. One hundred and ninety-eight adult patients, of ASA physical status 1-2, undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were enrolled in this study. Patients with a history of drug abuse, known hypersensitivity to 5-HT 3 receptor antagonist, body mass index > 30 kg.m , hepatic or renal disease or who had used antiemetics within the 24 h before the study were excluded. Before surgery, all patients were interviewed about their medical history including tobacco use, presence of PONV and motion sic...