Efavirenz-induced neurological symptoms in rare homozygote CYP2B6 *2/*2 (C64T)

Abstract

Some of the HIV-1-infected patients who were given highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) including efavirenz (EFV) presented adverse central nervous system (CNS) symptoms such as fatigue and insomnia. The incidence of adverse CNS symptoms is associated with hepatic cytochrome P450 isozymes (CYP2B6) polymorphisms. For example, CYP2B6 *6 (G516T and A785G) and *7 (G516T, A785G and C1459T) prolonged the EFV half-life despite discontinuation of EFV. CYP2B6 *2/*2 (C64T) is extremely rare and there have been no data describing the EFV plasma concentrations in C64T homozygous patients, who developed adverse CNS symptoms. C64T homozygous possibly has some catalytic defects.