Pharmacogenomics variants are associated with BMI differences between individuals with bipolar and other psychiatric disorders

Abstract

Aim: Regardless of the plethora of next-generation sequencing studies in the field of pharmacogenomics (PGx), the potential effect of covariate variables on PGx response within deeply phenotyped cohorts remains unexplored. Materials & methods: We explored with advanced statistical methods the potential influence of BMI, as a covariate variable, on PGx response in a Greek cohort with psychiatric disorders. Results: Nine PGx variants within UGT1A6, SLC22A4, GSTP1, CYP4B1, CES1, SLC29A3 and DPYD were associated with altered BMI in different psychiatric disorder groups. Carriers of rs2070959 ( UGT1A6), rs199861210 ( SLC29A3) and rs2297595 ( DPYD) were also characterized by significant changes in the mean BMI, depending on the presence of psychiatric disorders. Conclusion: Specific PGx variants are significantly associated with BMI in a Greek cohort with psychiatric disorders.