Acetylation phenotype in hypertensive patients.

Individual differences in drug-metabolizing capacity may be due to the occurrence of genetic enzyme variants. This study of pharmacogenetics in this paper explores the polymorphic acetylation of hypertensive patients who had taken hydralazine as an antihypertensive drug in the cardiovascular clinic at Chinese Air Force General Hospital. An apparent bimodal distribution of acetylator phenotype was found in 96 subjects (26 slow and 70 fast acetylators) from measuring the percentage of acetylation of sulphamethazine (SMZ) in 6-hr blood, 3-to-6 hr urine samples; and the elimination half-life (t1/2) of SMZ; after administration of SMZ 10 mg/kg. The results might provide a therapeutic index of hydralazine and reduce the probability of drug-induced lupus erythematosus.