Genotyping of CYP2D6 polymorphisms by MALDI–TOF mass spectrometry in Sardinian people

The CYP2D6 enzyme is involved in the metabolism of many commonly prescribed drugs. The presence of CYP2D6 gene SNPs can alter CYP2D6 enzymatic activity with effects ranging considerably within a population. Objectives: In this study we have developed a genotyping platform able to determine the alleles related to interindividual variability in CYP2D6 gene. Design and methods: We used a Long PCR strategy coupled to MALDI–TOF mass spectrometry (Sequenom®) to develop a SNPs genotyping method. Furthermore, an amplification allele–specific was carried out to infer the correct allelic phase. Results: We tested the multiplex platform in 250 DNA Sardinian samples and found it to be 100% concordant with the sequencing results of our previous work. Conclusions: The MALDI–TOF–based multiplexing system allowed simultaneous and efficient genotyping of a set of CYP2D6 SNPs, evidencing its potential use in diagnostic test development to predict drug responses and clinical outcome