Effects of Enzyme Induction and Polymorphism on the Pharmacokinetics of Isoniazid and Rifampin in Tuberculosis/HIV Patients

Tuberculosis is the most common cause of death in HIV-infected individuals. Rifampin and isoniazid are the backbones of the current first-line antitubercular therapy. The aim of the present study was to describe the time-dependent pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenetics of rifampin and isoniazid and to quantitatively evaluate the drug-drug interaction between rifampin and isoniazid in patients coinfected with HIV. Plasma concentrations of isoniazid, acetyl-isoniazid, isonicotinic acid, rifampin, and 25-desacetylrifampin from 40 HIV therapy-naive patients were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) after the first dose and at steady state of antitubercular therapy. Patients were genotyped for determination of acetylator status and CYP2C19 phenotype. Nonlinear mixed-effects models were developed to describe the pharmacokinetic data. The model estimated an autoinduction of both rifampin bioavailability (0.5-fold) and clearance (2.3-fold). 25-Desacetylrifampin clearance was 2.1-fold higher at steady state than after the first dose. Additionally, ultrarapid CYP2C19 metabolizers had a 2-fold-higher rifampin clearance at steady state than intermediate or extensive metabolizers. An induction of isonicotinic acid formation from isoniazid dependent on total rifampin dose was estimated. Simulations indicated a 30% lower isoniazid exposure at steady state during administration of standard rifampin doses than isoniazid exposure in noninduced individuals. Rifampin exposure was correlated with CYP2C19 polymorphism, and rifampin administration may increase exposure to toxic metabolites by isoniazid in patients. Both findings may influence the risk of treatment failure, resistance development, and toxicity and require further investigation, especially with regard to ongoing high-dose rifampin trials.