Influence of disease on drug toxicity.

Disease can influence the actions of a drug, both therapeutic and undesired, in many ways. These include changes in the rate and extent of its absorption from the gastrointestinal tract and other sites, its disposition throughout body compartments, its hepatic uptake and metabolism, and its clearance from the body by one of more routes of elimination. In addition to these pharmacokinetic changes, disease may modify the pharmacological action of a drug, for example by influencing receptor number and responsiveness. However, the mechanisms underlying some adverse drug effects related to certain inherited and acquired diseases remain unexplained.