Associations between four polymorphisms of the SLCO1B1 and effectiveness of the statins: a meta-analysis

Statins are the first-choice therapy for dyslipidemia, but their effectiveness can be influenced by genetic polymorphisms. This study was conducted to assess the association of variants of the solute carrier anion transporter family 1B1 (SLCO1B1) gene, which encodes a transporter involving the hepatic clearance of the statins and their therapeutic efficacy.

A systematic review was performed on four electronic databases to identify relevant studies. The pooled mean difference with 95% confidence interval (CI) in percentage change of concentration of LDL-C, total cholesterol (TC), HDL-C, and triglycerides was calculated. Heterogeneity between studies and publication bias, subgroup analyses, and sensitivity analyses were also carried out using R software.

Twenty-one studies on 24 365 participants and four variants [rs4149056 (c.521T>C), rs2306283 (c.388A>G), rs11045819 (c.463C>A), rs4363657 (g.89595T>C)] were analyzed. A statistically significant association was found between the LDL-C-lowering effectiveness and the rs4149056 and rs11045819 in the heterozygote model; and the rs4149056, rs2306283, and rs11045819 in the homozygote model. In the subgroup analyses, non-Asian populations, simvastatin, and pravastatin showed significant associations between LDL-C-lowering efficacy and the rs4149056 or rs2306283. Significant associations between the rs2306283 and HDL-C-increasing effectiveness were found in the homozygote model. Regarding TC-reducing, significant associations were observed in the heterozygote and homozygote models of the rs11045819. There was no heterogeneity and publication bias among most studies.

SLCO1B1 variants can be used as signals to predict the statins' effectiveness.