CYP2B6 and SULT1A1 single nucleotide polymorphism among Ghanaian HIV patients

Background: Nevirapine is used in many developing countries for the management of HIV-1 patients. Despite its usefulness, hypersensitivity reaction is a common complication that accounts for patients defaulting during therapy in Ghana. Genetic variations in drug-metabolising enzymes have been implicated in reported adverse drug reactions observed in patients on nevirapine regimen. Objective: This study aimed to determine genotypic frequencies of specific CYP2B6 and SULT1A1 variants and their association with nevirapine hypersensitivity among persons living with HIV in the Ghanaian population. Methods: A prospective study was conducted in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, a tertiary health facility in Ghana. Clinical data were recorded from the seventy patients’ folder, and whole blood was collected for genotyping. Genotypes of CYP2B6c.983T > C and SULT1A1c.638G > A were obtained using Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism method. Results: The mean age of the participants was 38 ± 9.47 years, with the majority 77% being females. For CYP2B6c.983T > C genotype frequencies, T/T and T/C were 94.3% and 5.7%, respectively, while for SULT1A1c.638G > A genotype frequencies, G/G, G/A, and A/A were 61.4%, 34.3% and 4.3% respectively. The prevalence of CYP2B6c.983T > C and SULT1A1c.638G > A minor allele was 2.9% and 21.4%, respectively among the study participants. Conclusion: Extensive metaboliser genotypes for CYP2B6c.983T > C and SULT1A1c.638G > A were more than the intermediate and poor metaboliser genotype. However, CYP2B6 983C/C representing poor metabolisers of CYP2B6c.983T>C were not detected among the study population. Genetic polymorphism of CYP2B6c.983T > C and SULT1A1c.638G > A were not associated with nevirapine hypersensitivity.