Tuber& ( 1975), 56,203

DETERMINATION OF THE ACETYLATOR PHENOTYPE USING MATRIX ISONIAZID G. A. ELLARD and PATRICIAT. GAMMON MRC

Unit

.for Laboratory

Studies of Tuberculosis, Royal Postgraduate London, WI2 OHS

Medical

School. Durane Road.

HILKKATIITINEN* Nufjield Unit of Medical

Genetics.

Deparlnrent

of Medicine.

University

of LiverpooI,

Crown Street, Liverpool,

L6Y J&X

SUMMARY The development of a simple method for classifying subjects as slow or rapid acetylators is reported. The method is based on determining the ratio of acetylisoniazid to acidlabile isoniazid in the urine 23-24 hours after an oral dose of a slow-release isoniazid formulation. The results obtained when this method was applied to phenotype over 200 East African tuberculosis patients are described. It is suggested that the method would be particularly suitable for classifying tuberculosis out-patients.

Les auteurs rapportent la mise au point d’une methode simple pour classer les sujets en ipactivateurs lents et rapides. La mCthode est baste SW le rapport de l’adtylisoniazide sur l’isoniazide g fonction acide libre dans les urines 23 d 24 heures apr&s une dose orale d’isoniazide retard. Les r<ats obtenus lorsque cette mCthode a Ctd utilisCe pour la dktermination du phtnotype de 200 malades tuberculeux africains, sont don&. Les auteurs suggkrent que la mtthode serait particuli6rement adaptCe & la classification des malades ambulatoires.

RESUMEN Se comunica el empleo de un mCtodo simple para clasificar a las personas coma acetiladoras rapidas o lentas. El m&odo est6 basado en la determinacibn de la relaci6n entre acetilisoniazida e isoniazida gcido-labil en la orina, 23 a 24 horas despuCs de la ingesti6n de una dosis de isoniazida de liberaci6n lenta. Se describen 10s resultados obtenidos con el m&odo aplicado al fenotipo en 200 pacientes tuberculosos de Africa de1 Este. Se sugiere que este m&odo sen’a muy apropiado para clasificar 10s tuberculosos no hospitalizados.

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Berichtet wird iiber eine einfache Methode, mit der zwischen schnellen und langsamen * Present address: Department of Pulmonary Diseases, University Central Hospital. Helsinki, Finland.

204

I.l,l.AKl~

4k.I)

0.1

HL-.KS

Azetylierern unterschieden werden kann. Bestimmt wird das Verhgltnis zwischen Azetylund saurelabilem Isoniazid im Urin 23 - 24 Stunden nach oraler Gabe eines lsoniazid - Retardpraparats. Die mit dieser Methode bei 200 Afrikanern gewonnenen

isoniazid

Resultate ambulant

werden mitgeteilt. Die Methode behandelten Patienten eignen.

diirfte

sich besonders

zur Klassifierung

von

Introduction

When tuberculosis patients are treated with once-weekly isoniazid-containing regimens, rapid acetylators of isoniazid fare significantly worse than do slow acetylators (see Ellard, 1975). Recently several methods have been described for classifying subjects as slow or rapid acetylators of isoniazid based on determinations of the ratio of acetylisoniazid to acid-labile isoniazid excreted in the urine after giving intramuscular or intravenous doses of isoniazid (Eidus, Harnanansingh & Jessamine. 1971; Venkataraman and others, 1972; Ellard, Gammon & Tiitinen, 1973). A procedure has also been described based on determining the ratio of these compounds in the urine 6-8 hours after oral dosage with 10 mg/kg isoniazid (Eidus and others, 1974). In this paper we describe the results obtained with a method that should be particularly suitable for phenotyping tuberculosis outpatients. In this method urine samples are obtained 23-24 hours after giving an oral dose of 600 mg isoniazid in a slow-release formulation (‘matrix isoniazid’, Smith and Nephew HS 82; Ellard and others, 1973), and subjects phenotyped according to the ratio of acetylisoniazid to acid-labile isoniazid determined using simple calorimetric methods. Methods Collectian of’samples First study - Urine collections (23-24 hour) and plasma samples (24 hour) were obtained from 49 healthy British student volunteers after they had swallowed oral doses of 600 mg matrix isoniazid. Second study - Urine collections were obtained 5-6 hours after oral dosage with 40 mg/kg o.i sulphadimidine (Evans, 1969), and 23-24 hours after oral dosage with 600 mg matrix isoniazid. from 57 East African tuberculosis patients prior to treatment with regimens consisting of 4 or 8 weeks daily streptomycin plus isoniazid plus thiacetazone followed by twice-weekly isoniazid plus thiacetazone (East African/British Medical Research Council, 1974~). The matrix isoniazid doses were given at least 24 hours after the sulphadimidine doses. Third study - Urine collections were obtained 23-24 hours after oral dosage with 600 mg matrix isoniazid from 204 East African tuberculosis patients prior to treatment with a regimen consisting of 2 months daily streptomycin plus isoniazid plus rifampicin plus pyrazinamide followed by 4 months twice-weekly streptomycin plus isoniazid plus pyrazinamide (East African/British Medical Research Council, 1974~). Urine samples were also obtained over a period of 36 hours after giving 600 mg matrix isoniazid to a slow and a rapid acetylator. All test doses of matrix isoniazid and sulphadimidine were taken on an empty stomach. All samples were stored at -20°C prior to analysis in London. Because of the instability of acetylisoniazid in plasma (Ellard, Gammon & Wallace, 1972), plasma samples were analysed within a week of their collection. Analytical methods

Plasma concentrations of isoniazid and acetylisoniazid were determined fluorimetrically (Ellard, Gammon & Wallace, 1972). The concentrations of acid-labile isoniazid in the urine were determined calorimetrically with trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid using a modification (Ellard and others,

ACETYLATOR

205

PHENOTYPE

.

.

.. .

??

? ? ? ?

? ?

. I

s Rapid acetylators - Slow acetylators

LoglO

ratio of acetylisoniazid isoniazid

Distribution

to

in plasma

FIG. 1 of volunteers according to the ratios of acetylisoniazid in the urine and plasma. (First study).

to isoniazid

1973) of the Dymond and Russell (1970) procedure. Urinary concentrations of acetylisoniazid were determined calorimetrically using a modification of the method described by Venkataraman, Eidus and Tripathy (1968). In this modification acid-labile hydrazones of isoniazid were first broken down by treating aliquots of urine (0.4 ml) with 0.05 ml 2N HCl and standing at room temperature for 15 min. After adding 0.05 ml 2N NaOH, the samples were reacted by the addition of 0.2 ml 0.5M pH 6.0 phosphate buffer, O-2 ml 20 % potassium cyanide and 0.8 ml 12.5 % chloramine-T. After standing for 2-3 min. 1 ml acetone was added and the acetylisoniazid concentrations calculated from the absorption of the reaction product at 550 nm. In the first study urinary concentrations of acid-labile isoniazid and acetylisoniazid were also determined fluorimetrically (Ellard, Gammon and Wallace, 1972). Concentrations of free sulphadimidine and acid-hydrolysable (free plus acetylated) sulphadimidine were determined by the Bratton and Marshall procedure (Varley, 1962). Results and Discussion

The results obtained in the first study are summarised in Table I and illustrated in Fig. 1. The slow acetylators (30) could readily be distinguished from the rapid acetylators (19) on the basis of their higher isoniazid plasma concentrations 24 hours after giving 600 mg matrix isoniazid. Alternatively the two phenotypes could be characterised from the ratios of acetylisoniazid to isoniazid present in the plasma at this time or the ratios of the excretion of acetylisoniazid to acidlabile isoniazid in the urine. Whichever method was used each volunteer was unambiguously classified in the same way. Although each of these parameters efficiently distinguished the 2 acetylator phenotypes, the most convenient method was clearly to determine the ratio of acetylisoniazid to acid-labile isoniazid in the urine at 23-24 hours using the simpler calorimetric methods. The acetylisoniazid concentrations determined in the urine samples using the calorimetric and C

206

ELLARD

AND

OTHERS

TABLE 1. - CHARACTERISAT~ONOF VOLUNTEERS AS SLOW AND RAPID ACETYLATORS( 1st study) Concentrations @g/ml) or ratios in the plasma or urine 24 hr after an oral dose of 600 mg matrix isoniazid. 7-

Fluid

Compounds

estimated

----

Methods**

Slow (30)*

-_--_.

I-

7_

( 19)

Rapid

_

/t

!

Mean $

Range

Meun

Range

0.55

0.23-1.17

0.06

-0.02-0.14

--14.6

_-

Plasma

Isoniazid

F

Plasma

Acetylisoniazid

F

1.05

0.28-2.24

IO.8

4.0-67.4

14.1

F

2.68

I .69-6.7I

22.8

12.9-48.0

20. I

14.5

8.2-24.9

isoniazid Urine

Acetylisoniazid Acid-labile

Urine

isoniazid

Acetylisoniazid Acid-labile

c

isoniazid

2.18

--I

18.8

**Methods: F, fluorimetric; C, calorimetric. *Number of subjects. SGeometric means. tTwo-tailed t-tests between slow and rapid inactivators using logarithmically transformed data to give similar variances. P < 0001 in every case.

fluorimetric methods were closely similar. However the concentrations of acid-labile isoniazid determined using the calorimetric method were significantly higher than those estimated by the much more specific and sensitive fluorimetric method. The greatest discrepancy between the results obtained by the 2 methods was seen in those samples from the rapid acetylators that contained the lowest isoniazid concentrations. Nevertheless, whichever method was employed, the lowest urinary ratio of acetylisoniazid to acid-labile isoniazid of the 19 rapid acetylators was approximately double that of the highest of the 30 slow acetylators. It was therefore concluded that using the more

convenient calorimetric methods rather than the more specific fluorimetric methods would be most unlikely to result in appreciable misclassification of the 2 phenotypes. The results obtained in the second study are illustrated in Fig. 2 and summarised in Table II. Using either method the 57 patients were unambiguously classified as 31 slow and 26 rapid acetylators. In this study the sulphadimidine method appeared to give slightly better discrimination between the 2 phenotypes than the new method. Among the slow acetylators a direct correlation

TABLE 11. - COMPARISONOF RESULTSOBTAINEDWITH NEW AND SULPHADIMIDINE METHODS(2nd

-__--

Slow (3 I)* Method

~___

Ratio estimated

Acetylisoniazid Acid-labile

Sulphadimidine

isoniazid

Acetylsulphadimidine Sulphadimidine

*Number of subjects. tTwo-talled t-tests variances. Pi 0901

Rapid (26) ____-

tt

Range

Mean

2.52

1.14-6.80

14.8

7.1-53.0

16.0

0.90

0.41-I .92

4.46

2.58-8.62

18.0

Mean** ~New

study)

~~~

~~~~~ ~

-_~

Range -_____

-

**Geometric means.

between slow in every case.

and

rapid

inactivators

using

logarithmically

transformed

data

lo give similar

ACETYLATOR

207

PHENOTYPE

I

??

-0.5

PO Loglo ratiX of acetylsulphLiTmidine to sulphadimine FIG.

Distribution

in urine 2

of patients according to the ratios of acetylated to free isoniazid and sulphadimidine in the urine. (Second study).

could be demonstrated between the ratios of acetylisoniazid to acid-labile isoniazid 24 hours after giving matrix isoniazid and of acetylsulphadimidine to sulphadimidine 5-6 hours after giving sulphadimidine (P 7.0). Since there were no significant differences between the three studies in the calorimetrically determined acetylisoniazid/acid-labile isoniazid ratios, the results are illustrated in an amalgamated form in Fig. 3. The bimodal distribution of the results is clearly apparent and a ratio of 7 was chosen as the most suitable value for distinguishing between the 2 phenotypes. Only 12 (4%) of the 310 urine samples had ratios of between 6 and 8. The investigation of the change with time in the magnitude of the ratio of acetylisoniazid/acid-labile isoniazid excreted in the urine showed that 24 hours after giving 600 mg matrix isoniazid it was increasing by about 4 % per hour in the slow acetylator and 8 % per hour in the rapid acetylator. It was therefore concluded that misclassification was unlikely to occur on

ELLARD

AND

OTHERS

I

O-62

l-25

2.5

5-O

Ratio of acetylisoniazid Distribution

10.0 to acid-labile

20-o

40.0

>50

isoniazid

FIG. 3 of subjects according to the ratios of acetylisoniazid isoniazid in the urine. (All three studies).

to acid-labile

account of patients not providing urine samples at precisely 23-24 hours. Furthermore slight delays in the absorption of isoniazid that could result if the test dose were taken shortly after a meal instead of on an empty stomach would also be unlikely to result in misclassification. The method would therefore appear to have the additional practical advantage of being relatively unaffected by slight lapses on the part of the subject to fully comply with the instructions. It is suggested that this method would be particularly convenient for phenotyping tuberculosis out-patients who could take the test dose of matrix isoniazid one day and return 23 hours later to provide the required urine sample. This would avoid the patient having to wait the 6-8 hours required in the isoniazid method of Eidus and others (1974), or in the sulphadimidine method (Evans, 1969; Viznerova, Slavikova and Ellard, 1973). These latter methods would however be more suitable for population surveys of the relative prevalence of the slow and rapid acetylator phenotypes. The results obtained in the second study, and a comparison of the results obtained in the third study with those obtained in a’large study using sulphadimidine (Viznerova, Slavikova and Ellard, 1973) suggest that in its present form the isoniazid matrix method may not discriminate between the 2 phenotypes as well as the sulphadimidine method. However further studies using higher doses of matrix isoniazid (30 mg/kg) and determining the urinary ratios of acetylisoniazid/ acid-labile isoniazid fluorimetrically, indicate that when the method is modified in this way, its discrimination is superior to that of the sulphadimidine method (Ellard and Gammon, in preparation). Identical proportions of slow acetylators (55 ‘A) were found among the 204 East African patients

ACETYLATOR

209

PHENOTYPE

investigated in the second and third studies, and this proportion is similar to those found in other populations of Negro descent (Evans, Manley & McKusick, 1960; Evans, 1962; Dufour, Knight & Harris, 1964; Fawcett 8c Gammon, 1975). The proportion of slow acetylators found among the much smaller number of British students investigated in the first study (61%) is also similar to that found among other populations of Caucasian descent (see Ellard, 1975). In the controlled East African clinical trials no significant differences in response to treatment could be demonstrated between rapid and slow acetylators, whether they were being treated for 12 months with 4 or 8 weeks of daily streptomycin, isoniazid and thiacetazone followed by twice-weekly isoniazid plus thiacetazone or for 6 months with 8 weeks of daily treatment with streptomycin, isoniazid, rifampicin and pyrazinamide followed by streptomycin plus isoniazid plus pyrazinamide twice-weekly (East African/British Medical Research Council Study, 1974~, B, respectively). We should like to thank the British Council and Finnish Anti-Tuberculosis this investigation, and Prof. D. A. P. Evans for his help and advice.

Association

for financially

supporting

REFERENCES DYMOND, L. C. & RUSSELL, D. W. (1970). Rapid determination of isonicotinic acid hydrazide in whole blood with 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid. Clinica Chimica Acta, 27, 513. DUFOUR. A. P., KNIGHT, R. A. & HARRIS, H. W. (1964). Genetics of isoniazid metabolism in Caucasian. Negro and Japanese populations. Science, 145, 391. EAST AFRICAN/BRITISH MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL INTERMITTENT THIACETAZONE INVESTIGATION (1974~). A pilot study of two regimens of intermittent thiacetazone plus isoniazid in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis in East Africa. Tuber&, 55, 211. EAST AFRICAN/BRITISH MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (1974~). Controlled clinical trial of four short-course (Qmonth) regimens of chemotherapy for treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Second study. Lancet, 2, 1100. EIDU~, L., HARNANANSINGH, A. M. T. & JESSAMINE, A. G. (1971). Urine test for phenotyping isoniazid inactivators. American Review of Respiratory Disease, 104, 587. EIDU~, L., HODGKIN, M. M., SHAEFER, 0. & JESSAMINE,A. G. (1974). Distribution ofisoniazid inactivators in Eskimos and Canadian college students by a urine test. Revue canadienne de biologic, 33, 117. ELLAI~~, G. A. (1975). Variations between individuals and populations in the acetylation of isoniazid and its significance for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Paper presented at the 3rd Deer Lodge Symposium of ~Clinical Pharmacology 23/9/74, to be published in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. ELLARD, G. A., GAMMON, P. T., POLANSKY, F., V~ZNEROVA, A., HAVL~K, I., & Fox, W. (1973). Further studies on the pharmacology of a slow-release matrix preparation of isoniazid (Smith and Nephew HS 82) of potential use in the intermittent treatment of tuberculosis. Tubercle, 54, 57. ELLARD, G. A.. GAMMON, P. T. & TIITINEN. H. (1973). Determination of the acetylator phenotype from the ratio of the urinary excretion of acetylisoniazid to acid-labile isoniazid: A study in Finnish Lapland. Tubercle, 54,201. ELLARD, G. A., GAMMON, P. T. & WALLACE, S. M. (1972). The determination of isoniazid and its metabolites acetyin serum and urine. Iisoniazid, monoacetyl-hydrazine. diacetyl-hydrazine, isonicotinic acid and isonicotinylglycine Biochemical Journal, 126, 449. EVANS, D. A. P. (1962). Pharmacogenetique. Medicine et Hygiene, 20, 905. EVANS, D. A. P. (1969). An improved and simplified method of detecting the acetylator phenotype. Journal ofMedical Genetics, 6, 405. EVANS. D. A. P., MANLEY, K. A. & MCKUSICK, V. A. (1960). Genetic control of isoniazid metabolism in man. British Medical Journal, 2, 485. FAWCETT. I. W., & GAMMON, P. T. (1975). The determination of the acetylator phenotype in a Northern Nigerian population. Tubercle, 56, 199. VARLEY, H. (1962). Practical Chnical Biochemistry, 3rd edition, p. 634, Heinemann, London. VENKATARAMAN, P., EIDUS, L., & TRIPATHY, S. P. (1968). Method for the estimation of acetylisoniazid in urine. Tubercle, 49, 210. VENKATARAMAN, P., MENON, N. K., NAIR, N. G. K., RADHAKRISHNA, S., Ross, C. & TRIPATHY, S. P. (1972). Classification of subjects as slow or rapid inactivators of isoniazid, based on the ratio of the urinary excretion of acetylisoniazid to isoniazid. Tubercle, 53, 84. VIZNEROVA, A., SLAvftcovA, Z. & ELLARD, G. A. (1973). The determination of the acetylator phenotype of tuberculosis patients in Czechoslovakia using sulphadimidine. Tuber&e, 54, 67. WHITE. T. A. & EVANS, D. A. P. (1968). The acetylation of sulfamethazine and sulfamethoxypyridazine by human subjects. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 9,80.

Determination of the acetylator phenotype using matrix isoniazid.

The development of a simple method for classifying subjects as slow or rapid acetylators is reported. The method is based on determining the ratio of ...
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