| Web: | mayocliniclabs.com |
|---|---|
| Email: | mcl@mayo.edu |
| Telephone: | 800-533-1710 |
| International: | +1 855-379-3115 |
| Values are valid only on day of printing | |
| Web: | mayocliniclabs.com |
|---|---|
| Email: | mcl@mayo.edu |
| Telephone: | 800-533-1710 |
| International: | +1 855-379-3115 |
| Values are valid only on day of printing | |
Comprehensive Genetic Test Guides Prescribing of a Transplant Anti-Rejection Drug
Answers From the Lab
Jessica Wright, Pharm.D., BCACP, R.Ph., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' 3A5Q test helps determine initial tacrolimus doses for individuals after organ transplants. Optimal tacrolimus levels are one of the important factors in survival of the transplanted organ.
In this test-specific episode of the "Answers From the Lab" podcast, Dr. Wright explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' comprehensive 3A5Q test provides precise guidance for doses of tacrolimus and other drugs commonly used to prevent organ rejection.
The metabolism of these antirejection drugs is reduced in patients with certain variations in the CYP3A5 gene. Mayo Clinic Laboratories' 3A5Q test covers six of these alleles; other tests generally cover fewer. "Including additional alleles gives us much higher sensitivity to detect if a patient has reduced-activity alleles," Dr. Wright says. "That is really important in making sure we are getting the right test results to guide patient care."
Tacrolimus is a narrow therapeutic index drug, meaning there is a small window in which levels of the drug are most likely to be effective and have the least risk for side effects. "The drug level needs to be high enough to prevent organ rejection but not so high that it causes toxicity, such as kidney damage," Dr. Wright says.
International guidelines recommend different tacrolimus doses for people with various CYP3A5 genotypes. "The main point is to get these CYP3A5 test results before organ transplant," Dr. Wright says. "The 3A5Q test has a lot of value in reducing risk and getting the therapeutic levels right from the start."
Listen to learn more about Mayo Clinic Laboratories' 3A5Q test.
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