Objectives:

Escitalopram is an antidepressant drug from the group of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors widely used in the treatment of major depressive syndrome. This drug is metabolized by the enzyme CYP2C19 of the cytochrome P450 enzyme complex and it is known that genetic variations in this enzyme are directly related to variations in the pharmacological response to escitalopram, in efficacy and toxicity. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of allelic variants for CYP2C19 in geriatric patients treated with escitalopram and to evaluate the adjustment to pharmacological treatment with escitalopram according to their pharmacogenetic profile.

Materials and methods:

A quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample consisted of 36 geriatric patients of both sexes, diagnosed with major depressive syndrome and treated with escitalopram in the Senior Adult Clinic of the Roosevelt Hospital of Guatemala during March to August 2017. For the determination of the presence of allelic variants the analysis technique of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used.

Results:

Allelic variants were found in 4 patients (11.1%). 32 patients (88.9%) corresponded to the extensive metabolizer phenotype and 4 (11.1%) to the intermediate, no cases of poor metabolizing phenotypes were found.

Conclusions:

In all cases, a pharmaceutical intervention was carried out with therapeutic recommendation to the doctor. In no case was dose readjustment necessary. The frequency of the presence of allelic variants found for Guatemala was similar to the known multiethnic frequency average.

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