Uric acid is a toxic breakdown product that is removed from the body with the help of transport protein ABCG2. Allopurinol is used to reduce the uric acid concentration.
The activity of the ABCG2 transport protein can vary considerably depending on your genetic predisposition, which may lead to differences in the effectiveness and potential side effects of allopurinol from person to person. Information about your genetic predisposition may therefore provide grounds for extra vigilance in relation to a treatment with allopurinol.
Note: Mutations in the HLA-B*5801 gene can increase the risk of severe adverse reactions to allopurinol, but these are not mapped. The HLA-B*5801 allele is present in 1-2% of Europeans and Japanese individuals, while its prevalence among Han Chinese can be as high as 20%.
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