Acetylator phenotype in Iraqi patients with allergic contact dermatitis.

BACKGROUND

Few studies have been done on acetylator status in ACD. This study determined acetylator status in Iraqi patients with allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in comparison to a matched control group.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

The study included 35 ACD patients and 67 healthy volunteers. The ACD patients were diagnosed clinically and the diagnosis was confirmed by patch test. A detailed history wastaken from the patients. After an overnight fast, each control subject and each patient received a single oral dose of 100 mg of dapsone. A blood sample was collected after 3 hours and plasma was separated for determiination of dapsone and monoacetyldapsone by HPLC.

RESULTS

Twenty-six of the 35 ACD patients returned for follow up. The frequency of slow acetylators in healthy individuals was 71.6%, while the frequency of rapid acetylators was 28.4%. The frequency of slow acetylators in ACD patients was 60.0% while the frequency of rapid acetylators was 40.0%. There was no association between the acetylator status, personal history of allergy, patch-test positivity or sites of dermatitis in ACD patients.

CONCLUSION

A rapid acetylator status might predispose to ACD, but does not seem to influence other features of the disease.