IS DEBRISOQUINE HYDROXYLATION MODIFIED DURING ACUTE VIRAL-HEPATITIS

Drug metabolism in the liver may be decreased during liver diseases. H owever, the extent of impairment of specific isozymes of cytochrome P4 50 is largely unknown. We have studied the debrisoquine hydroxylation capacity of 17 patients with acute viral hepatitis and 106 unrelated h ealthy subjects. Debrisoquine metabolic ratio was increased in extensi ve metabolizers (EM) with acute viral hepatitis as compared with healt hy EMs (median metabolic ratio: 1.20 vs 0.84, P < 0.05). However, ther e was no difference in phenotype prevalence between patients and contr ols. Our results suggest that acute viral hepatitis only has a margina l effect on the activity of CYP2D6 and that substrates of this enzyme may be given in normal therapeutic doses to this category of patients.