Antinuclear Antibodies Following Hydralazine Toxicity

Abstract

MANY drugs have been reported to induce a syndrome resembling systemic lupus erythematosus. These include hydralazine,^{1 2 3 4 5 6} penicillin,^{7 , 8} phenylbutazone,⁹ sulfadiazine,^{10 , 11} methylphenyl-ethylhydantoin,^{12 , 13} trimethadione,^{13 , 14} sulfamethoxypyridazine,¹⁵ procaine amide^{16 17 18 19} and tetracycline.²⁰ The antihypertensive agent, hydralazine, however, appears to be associated with a uniquely high incidence of this syndrome. Incidences of 9.4, 8.1 and 13.2 per cent were reported in 1954 and 1955 for series in Cleveland, St. Louis and Durham respectively.^{1 2 3} It has been our experience in St. Louis that toxic manifestations to hydralazine have always regressed when the drug was discontinued; on the other hand, several reports have mentioned minimum persistence of toxic manifestations. . . .