A comparative study of efficacy and safety of febuxostat and allopurinol in pyrazinamide-induced hyperuricemic tubercular patients

• Published in: Indian journal of pharmacology 2016-09, Vol.48 (5), p.522-525
• Main Authors: Pichholiya, Meenu, Yadav, Arvind, Luhadia, S, Tahashildar, Jameela, Aseri, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Allopurinol; Allopurinol - therapeutic use; Antitubercular Agents - adverse effects; Comparative studies; Complications and side effects; Dosage and administration; Drug therapy; Febuxostat; Febuxostat - therapeutic use; Female; Gout Suppressants - therapeutic use; Humans; Hyperuricemia; Hyperuricemia - blood; Hyperuricemia - chemically induced; Hyperuricemia - drug therapy; Male; Middle Aged; Patient outcomes; Patients; Pyrazinamide; Pyrazinamide - adverse effects; Treatment Outcome; Uric Acid - blood; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0253-7613; 1998-3751
• DOI: 10.4103/0253-7613.190729

Objectives: To compare the efficacy and safety of febuxostat and allopurinol in pyrazinamide (PZA)-induced hyperuricemia in patients taking antitubercular therapy (ATT). Methods: This randomized controlled study was conducted at a tertiary care teaching institute of Rajasthan in all the sputum-positive tubercular patients aged between 18 and 65 years of either sex. Serum uric acid level was monitored at 0 th , 2 nd , 4 th , 6 th , and 8 th week of ATT. Patients whose uric acid level was found to be increased at 2 nd week were finally recruited in the study. Ninety patients who developed hyperuricemia due to ATT were divided randomly into three groups (Group A - febuxostat, Group B - allopurinol, and Group C - control) of thirty patients each. Mean serum uric acid levels were calculated at all the weeks in all the groups, and serum uric acid levels were compared by applying student′s t-test and ANOVA. Results: Mean serum uric acid level decreased from 10.698 mg/dl (at 2 nd week) to 7.846 mg/dl (at 8 th week) in Group A and from 11.34 mg/dl (at 2 nd week) to 7.280 mg/dl (at 8 th week) in Group B. Numbers of adverse events encountered across both the treatment groups were same with both the drugs. Conclusion: Allopurinol and febuxostat were equally efficacious in lowering PZA induced raised serum uric acid level in tubercular patients, and it was possible to continue ATT without withdrawing PZA.