Evaluation of the sulphapyridine acetylator phenotyping test in healthy subjects and in patients with cardiac and renal diseases.

The acetylator phenotype of 35 healthy, drug-free volunteers and 21 patients with cardiac and/or renal disease has been assessed using oral sulphapyridine. Comparative evaluation of a simplified and a more selective method of sulphapyridine analysis was performed. Thirteen of the patients were also phenotyped by determination of plasma isoniazid half-life. 81% of the patients were slow acetylators, compared with only 51% of the volunteers. When phenotyping healthy, drug-free subjects the analytical procedure, involving a direct estimation of sulphapyridine in urine with the Bratton-Marshall procedure, was satisfactory. On the other hand, in patients receiving concomitant drug therapy the more selective analytical procedure was necessary in order to diminish the risk of methodological interference.