risk factors and pattern of changes in liver enzymes among the patients with anti-tuberculosis drug-induced hepatitis

conclusions anti-tuberculosis drugs-induced hepatotoxicity caused treatment interruption in 5.5% of the patients with tuberculosis. the majority of the patients with dih were above fifty, and 50% the cases occurred during the first two weeks after treatment onset. physicians must carefully and closely monitor such patients. background hepatotoxicity is one of the most frequent adverse events that occurs during tuberculosis treatment and is associated with mortality of 6% - 12% if drugs are continued after the appearance of symptoms. in most of the cases, hepatitis is evident within three months after induction of anti-tuberculosis treatment. objectives the current study aimed to define the pattern of changes in liver transaminases and the associated risk factors among the patients with anti-tuberculosis drug-induced hepatitis who admitted to boo-ali hospital in zahedan, southeastern iran. patients and methods the current descriptive cross-sectional study reviewed all files of the patients with anti-tuberculosis drug-induced hepatitis (dih) who referred to boo-ali hospital in zahedan, southeastern iran, in five years. all patients were above 14 years, and were treated with the standard regimen (a combination of isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol ± streptomycin). hepatotoxicity was defined when the liver transaminases were more than five, the upper limit of normal (uln), or had clinical symptoms with an increase of liver transaminases ≥ 3 uln. results among the 946 patients with tuberculosis disease (44% men; 56% women), 52 (5.5%) cases had drug-induced hepatotoxicity. only 25% of the patients with anti-tuberculosis drug-induced hepatitis were below 52; 50% of the cases occurred within the first two weeks after the treatment onset.