Genomewide Association Study of Tacrolimus Pharmacokinetics Identifies Novel Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Convalescence Phase and Stabilizing Phase of Liver function Respectively

Following liver transplantation, the liver function of a patient is gradually restored over a period of time, which is divided into a convalescence period (CP) and a stabilizing period (SP). Tacrolimus (TAC), a commonly-used immunosuppressant for the prevention of organ rejection, shows variability in plasma concentration in these patients as a result of variation in its metabolism. The effects of genetic and clinical factors on its plasma levels seem to differ in the CP and SP. To establish a model explaining TAC trough concentration variation between individuals in both the CP and SP, we conducted a retrospective, single-center, discovery study, involving 115 pairs of patients (115 donors and 115 matched recipients) who had undergone liver transplantation. Donors and recipients were genotyped by genomewide association study (GWAS) using an exome chip. Paired 115 liver transplant patients (115 donor + 115 recipient livers)