Acetylation phenotype and skin complexion

Abstract

The relationship of acetylation phenotype to skin complexion was studied in 155 healthy Caucasians. Individuals received 500 mg sulphadimidine at 11.00 p.m.; urine was collected eight hours later. The percentage of acetylated sulphadimidine in urine was measured with high performance liquid chromatography. There was a slight but insignificant preponderance of slow acetylators in the dark skin types. It is concluded that slow acetylation phenotype is not correlated with light skin complexion. Therefore, it is unlikely that acetylation of xenobiotic carcinogens plays a dominant role in melanoma risk.