Polymorphic acetylation of sulphamethazine in man: acetylator phenotype in sicklers and non-sicklers.

The acetylator phenotype was determined for 183 Nigerians after administration of sulphamethazine at a dose level of 40 mg/kg body weight and analysis of urine after 6 h. Haemoglobin electrophoresis showed that 63 people (34.4%) carried the sickle cell trait. The % of slow acetylators amongst sicklers was 39.7 and amongst non-sicklers 40.8, a difference that was not significant.