Acetylator phenotype in patients with allergic diseases and its clinical significance

The genetic polymorphism of drug acetylation rate in man is an important determinant of the toxic and therapeutic response to certain drugs. This polymorphism can alter not only drug effects but may be a factor influencing the frequency of the occurrence of some disease states. The aim of our study was to establish whether there exists any correlation between the acetylator phenotype and the development of allergic diseases. In patients with allergic diseases and in healthy persons as a control group, the acetylation phenotype was determined by the sulfadimidinic method. In the group of patients with allergic diseases without infectional factor 76% slow and 24% rapid acetylators were found. This predominance of slow acetylators was statistically significant (by using chi 2 test) with comparison to the group of healthy persons, where 49% slow and 51% rapid acetylators were observed. Considerable predominance of slow acetylators in patients with allergic diseases suggest that phenotype of slow acetylation may be a factor playing some role in pathogenesis of allergic diseases and may be a factor predisposing to the development of these diseases.