The pharmacogenetics of lithium response depends upon clinical co-morbidity.

Background: Based on results from randomized, controlled clinical trials, lithium monotherapy or lithium with the addition of an antipsychotic remains a first-line treatment option for both acute and long-term mood stabilization in bipolar mania. However, response to lithium is poor in bipolar patients who exhibit clinical characteristics such as rapid cycling and mixed manic states, suggesting that they may have a biologically and genetically distinct form of bipolar disorder. A test that could predict response to lithium based upon genetic factors would have significant clinical value.

CACNA1C polymorphisms are associated with the efficacy of calcium channel blockers in the treatment of hypertension.

Retrospective pharmacogenetic analysis was performed on 120 Caucasian subjects. Subjects were obtained in collaboration with the Estonian Genome Project and Egeen Inc. (CA, USA), who provided blinded medical record and genetic data to the researchers, respectively.

A multimarker model to predict outcome in tamoxifen-treated breast cancer patients.

Purpose: This study was designed to produce a model to predict outcome in tamoxifen-treated breast cancer patients based on clinicopathologic features and multiple molecular markers.

Experimental Design: This was a retrospective study of 324 stage I to III female breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen for whom standard clinicopathologic data and tumor tissue microarrays were available. Nine molecular markers were studied by semiquantitative immunohistochemistry and/or fluorescence in situ hybridization.