EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM TREATMENT WITH PROCAINE AMIDE - PROSPECTIVE STUDY WITH SPECIAL REGARD TO ANF AND SLE IN FAST AND SLOW ACETYLATORS

Abstract

During 1970-75 a total of 42 patients were subjected to long-term treatment with procaine amide (PrA) because of different cardiac arrhythmias, and were observed up to over 5 yr. Among these patients, 35 (83%) developed a significantly increased titer of antinuclear factor [ANF] and of these, 12 patients (29%) developed a classical drug-induced systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE] syndrome. In the SLE group, all but 2 improved rapidly after cessation of PrA, and the ANF titer decreased continuously but slowly in both groups. Acetylation test with sulfamidine and/or isoniazid in 11 patients among the SLE cases showed 8 slow and 3 fast acetylators. Among 12 patients who also had received PrA for a long time, but had not shown any signs of an SLE syndrome, there were 10 fast and 2 slow acetylators.