Association of slow N-acetyltransferase 2 profile and anti-TB drug-induced hepatotoxicity in patients from Southern Brazil

Purpose To determine the frequency of N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) polymorphisms, the NAT2 acetylation profile and its relation to the incidence of gastrointestinal adverse drug reactions (ADRs), anti-tuberculosis (TB) drug-induced hepatotoxicity, and the clinical risk factors for hepatotoxicity in a population from Brazil. Methods Two hundred and fifty-four Brazilian TB patients using isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RMP), and pirazinamide (PZA) were tested in a prospective cohort study. NAT2 genotyping was performed by direct PCR sequencing. The association between gastrointestinal ADRs/hepatotoxicity and the NAT2 profile genotype was evaluated by univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression. Results Of the 254 patients analyzed, 69 (27.2%) were slow acetylators and 185 (72.8%) were fast acetylators. Sixty-five (25.6%) patients were human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive. Thirty-three (13%) and 14 (5.5%) patients developed gastrointestinal ADR and hepatotoxicity, respectively. Of the 14 hepatotoxicity patients, nine (64.3%) were slow acetylators and five (35.7%) were fast acetylators. Sex, age, presence of hepatitis C virus, alcohol abuse, and baseline aminotransferases were not found to be risk factors for hepatotoxicity. However, logistic regression analysis revealed that slow acetylator status and the presence of HIV (p < 0.05) were independent risk factors for hepatotoxicity. Conclusions Our findings show that HIV-positive patients that have the slow acetylation profile are significantly associated with a higher risk of developing hepatotoxicity due to anti-TB drugs.