Summary
Acetylator phenotype was measured in 58 patients presenting to a skin clinic with discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) and in 51 normal healthy subjects. Twenty seven of the patients with DLE were found to have evidence of systemic lupus erythematosus (D+SLE). Frequency of slow acetylator phenotype was 58% in all DLE patients, 52% in those with D+SLE and was no different from the 57% in controls. The distribution of acetylator phenotypes within the groups with DLE and those with D+SLE was similar to controls.Severity of DLE was assessed as number of skin lesions and median lesion count was 11.5 in slow acetylators and 10 in fast acetylators but in D + SLE median lesion count was 22 in slow acetylators and 12 in fast acetylators, and there was a significant inverse relationship between lesion count and rate of acetylation; scores for systemic involvement showed no relationship. We conclude that there is no difference in the frequency or distribution of slow acetylator phenotype between normal subjects and patients with DLE with or without SLE but that actual rate of acetylation may determine severity of expression of the disease in slow acetylators.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Evans DAP (1969) An improved and simplified method for detecting the acetylator phenotype. J Med Genet 6: 405
Fishbein E, Alarcon-Segovia D (1979) Slow acetylation phenotype in systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 22: 95
Foad B, Litwin A, Zimmer H, Hess EV (1977) Acetylator phenotype in systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 20: 815
Godeau P, Aubert M, Lambert J-C, Herreman G (1973) Lupus erythemateaux dissemine taux d'isonizide actif. Ann Med Interne (Paris) 124: 181–186
Johannson EA, Mustakallio KK, Mattila MM, Tulikainen A (1976) Cutaneous reactions to drugs, acetylation phenotype and HLA antigens in patients with and without systemic lupus erythematosus. Ann Clin Res 8: 126–128
Lawson DH, Henry DA, Lowe J, Reavey P, Rennie JAN, Solomon A (1979) Acetylator phenotype in spontaneous SLE and rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 38: 171–173
Marsden JR, Mason GGF, Coburn PR, Rawlins MD, Shuster S (1983) Acetylator phenotype and discoid lupus erythematosus. Br J Dermatol 109: 694
Molin L, Lavssan R, Karlsson E (1977) Evaluation of the sulphapyridine acetylator phenotyping test in healthy subjects and in patients with cardiac and renal diseases. Acta Med Scand 201: 217–222
Morris RJ, Freed CR, Kohler PF (1979) Drug acetylation phenotype unrelated to development of spontaneous systemic lupus erythematosus arthritis. Rheum 22: 777–780
Reidenberg MM, Martin JH (1974) Acetylator phenotype of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Drug Metab Dispos 2: 71–73
Reidenberg MM, Levy M, Drayer DE, Tylber-Katz E, Robbins WC (1980) Acetylator phenotype in idiopathic systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 23: 569–573
Strandberg I, Boman G, Hassler L, Sjoqvist F (1976) Acetylator phenotype in patients with hydralazine induced lupoid syndrome. Acta Med Scand 200: 367–371
Tan EM, Cohen AS, Fries F, Magi AT, McShane DJ, Rothfield NF, Schafer JG, Talal N, Winchester RJ (1982) The 1982 revised criteria for the classification of systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 25: 1271–1277
Uetrecht JP, Woosley RL (1981) Acetylator phenotype and lupus erythematosus. Clin Pharmacokinet 6: 118–134
Vansant J, Woosley RL, John JT, Sergent JS (1978) Normal distribution of acetylation phenotypes in systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 21: 192–195
Woosley RL, Drayer DE, Reidenberg MM, Nies AS, Carr K, Oates JA (1978) Effect of acetylator phenotype on the rate at which procainamide induces antinuclear antibodies and the lupus syndrome. N Engl J Med 298: 1157–1159
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Marsden, J.R., Mason, G.G.F., Coburn, P.R. et al. Drug acetylation and expression of lupus erythematosus. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 28, 387–390 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00544355
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00544355