A study of acetylation status using hydrallazine in African Hypertensives at Kenyatta National Hospital

Abstract

In the present study investigation of hydrallazine acetylator phenotype was undertaken for the first time in hypertensive Africans. A total of 25 randomly selected patients with moderate to severe hypertension participated in the phenoty- ping study. The phenotyping was done by administration of oral standard hydrallazine dose of l50mg/day. The 24 hour urinary MTP/hydrallazine

ratio was used to categ..orise patients into slow and fast acetylators.

Of the patients studied 69.9% were slow acetylators while 30.4% were fast acetylators. The mean 24 hour urinary MTP/hydrallazine ratio for slow acetylators was 1.0,1± 0.95 mean ± SD. This was significantly different from fast acetylator phenotype where the mean 24 hour urinary MTP/hydrallazine was 10.6±4.4 mean ±SD (P<O.OOl).

The acetylator phenotyping divided the patients studied into two distinct populations and no further arbitrary method was required to divide the patient into either group.