THE IMPACT OF THE c.3435C>T POLYMORPHISM OF THE ABCB1 GENE ON THE RESPONSE TO CARBAMAZEPINE TREATMENT

Epilepsy is a chronic brain condition, affecting 50 million people. In Algeria, approximately 1% suffer from this disease; and often treated with carbamazepine due to its affordability and availability. However, approximately one third (1/3) of patients are resistant to antiepileptic drugs including carbamazepine. Previous studies have suggested that genetic variations are remarkably associated with reduced bioavailability in epileptic cells; contributing to resistance to anticonvulsants. The ABCB1 gene plays an important role in the metabolism of carbamazepine. This study aims to evaluate the influence of the ABCB1 c.3435 CT polymorphism on the response to treatment with carbamazepine in 24 epileptic patients. The results suggest that the ABCB1 c.3435 CT polymorphism has no significant impact on the response to carbamazepine in epileptic patients. However, the results are preliminary and require validation with a larger sample of patients. The objective is to propose a pharmacogenetic tool to make the therapeutic choice easier and more effective, leading to a better quality of life for epileptic patients.