Multicenter study of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole-related hepatotoxicity: incidence and associated factors among HIV-infected patients treated for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia

PLoS One. 2014 Sep 3;9(9):e106141. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106141. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

The incidence of hepatotoxicity related to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) administered at a therapeutic dose may vary among study populations of different ethnicities and hepatotoxic metabolites of TMP/SMX may be decreased by drug-drug interaction with fluconazole. We aimed to investigate the incidence of hepatotoxicity and the role of concomitant use of fluconazole in HIV-infected patients receiving TMP/SMX for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. We reviewed medical records to collect clinical characteristics and laboratory data of HIV-infected patients who received TMP/SMX for treatment of P. jirovecii pneumonia at 6 hospitals around Taiwan between September 2009 and February 2013. Hepatotoxicity was defined as 2-fold or greater increase of aminotransferase or total bilirubin level from baselines. Roussel UCLAF Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) was used to analyze the causality of drug-induced liver injuries. NAT1 and NAT2 acetylator types were determined with the use of polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) restriction fragment length polymorphism to differentiate common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) predictive of the acetylator phenotypes in a subgroup of patients. During the study period, 286 courses of TMP/SMX treatment administered to 284 patients were analyzed. One hundred and fifty-two patients (53.1%) developed hepatotoxicity, and TMP/SMX was considered causative in 47 (16.4%) who had a RUCAM score of 6 or greater. In multivariate analysis, concomitant use of fluconazole for candidiasis was the only factor associated with reduced risk for hepatotoxicity (adjusted odds ratio, 0.372; 95% confidence interval, 0.145-0.957), while serostatus of hepatitis B or C virus, NAT1 and NAT2 acetylator types, or receipt of combination antiretroviral therapy was not. The incidence of hepatotoxicity decreased with an increasing daily dose of fluconazole up to 4.0 mg/kg. We conclude that the incidence of TMP/SMX-related hepatotoxicity was 16.4% in HIV-infected Taiwanese patients who received TMP/SMX for pneumocystosis. Concomitant use of fluconazole was associated with decreased risk for TMP/SMX-related hepatotoxicity.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anti-HIV Agents / therapeutic use
  • Anti-Infective Agents / administration & dosage
  • Anti-Infective Agents / adverse effects*
  • Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase / genetics
  • Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase / metabolism
  • Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / etiology*
  • Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / pathology
  • Drug Interactions
  • Female
  • Fluconazole / therapeutic use*
  • Gene Expression
  • HIV / drug effects
  • HIV / physiology
  • HIV Infections / complications*
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy
  • HIV Infections / pathology
  • HIV Infections / virology
  • Humans
  • Isoenzymes / genetics
  • Isoenzymes / metabolism
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / pathology
  • Liver / virology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Pneumocystis carinii / drug effects
  • Pneumocystis carinii / physiology
  • Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / complications*
  • Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / drug therapy
  • Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / pathology
  • Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / virology
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / administration & dosage
  • Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / adverse effects*

Substances

  • Anti-HIV Agents
  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Isoenzymes
  • Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination
  • Fluconazole
  • Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase
  • N-acetyltransferase 1
  • NAT2 protein, human

Grants and funding

This study was supported by grants from the Centers for Disease Control, Taiwan (grant number DOH102-DC-1401 to C.-C. H.). The funding source played no role in study design and conduct, data collection, analysis or interpretation, writing of the manuscript, or the decision to submit it for publication.