Associations of PPARG and PPARGC1A Polymorphisms with Ritodrine-Induced Adverse Events in Patients with Preterm Labor

Objectives: Ritodrine, a tocolytic agent used to delay preterm labor, can cause several cardiovascular-associated adverse events (AEs). This study aimed to examine the relationship between gene polymorphisms in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) and PPARG coactivator-1α (PPARGC1A) and the occurrence of ritodrine-induced AEs. Additionally, a risk-scoring system was developed to identify patients at high risk of AEs. Methods: Patients aged 18 years or older who were administered ritodrine to manage preterm labor with intact membranes and uterine contractions occurring at 20–36 weeks of gestation were enrolled in this study. A total of 70 common PPARG and PPARGC1A variants (minor allele frequency ≥ 0.2) with low linkage disequilibrium (r² < 0.8) were selected from an Axiom™ Precision Medicine Research Array (AMPRA). Results: A total of 149 patients were included in the analysis. After adjusting for confounders (age, gestational age, and the maximum infusion rate), weight and rs2946385, rs35523565, and rs2240748 of PPARGC1A were identified as significant predictors associated with ritodrine-induced AEs. Based on the risk-scoring system, the predicted probabilities of AEs for patients with scores of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 points were 4%, 9%, 18%, 35%, 55%, and 74%, respectively. The AUROC for the risk score predicting ritodrine-induced AEs was 0.729 (95% CI: 0.672–0.831, p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study indicates that ritodrine-induced AEs are related to PPARGC1A polymorphisms. A risk-scoring system based on genetic variants showed moderate predictive ability for ritodrine-induced AEs, suggesting potential utility in females with preterm labor.