Original Research

Frequency of Anti-tuberculosis Treatment Induced Hepatitis in Patients Taking Standard Anti-Tuberculosis Treatment

Aroon Faraz1
Department of Medicine, Gulab Devi Teaching Hospital, Lahore
Farhan Mustafa1
Department of Medicine, Gulab Devi Teaching Hospital, Lahore
Abdul Rehman Pasha1
Department of Medicine, Gulab Devi Teaching Hospital, Lahore
Fahad Aman Khan1
Department of Medicine, Gulab Devi Teaching Hospital, Lahore
Hafiz Abdul Rauf1
Department of Medicine, Gulab Devi Teaching Hospital, Lahore
Nimra Shaukat2
THQ Hospital, Wazirabad, Gujranwala

✉ Correspondence: Aroon Faraz Email: aroon.faraz@gmail.com

DOI https://doi.org/10.70302/jpsim.v7i1.2609
Volume: 7, Issue 1 Pages: 42–46 Published: 10 Mar 2026
Received: 29 May 2025 Revised: 13 Jan 2026 Accepted: 18 Feb 2026 Published Online: 10 Mar 2026

Abstract

Objective

To determine the frequency of ATT induced hepatitis in patients taking Standard ATT presenting in a tertiary care hospital of Lahore, Pakistan.

Methods

This cross sectional study was undertaken at the Department of Medicine, Gulab Devi Teaching Hospital, Lahore from 12th February 2025 to 11th April 2025. Data from 80 adult patients meeting inclusion criteria were collected after verbal consent. Baseline assessments included liver enzyme tests, abdominal ultrasound, and screening for HBV, HCV, and HIV to exclude existing liver disease. Demographic and clinical details were recorded, and patients were followed up weekly at Gulab Devi Hospital, Lahore. Data were examined utilizing SPSS version 25.

Results

The average age of the patients was 35.61±12.17 years. Out of the total of 80 patients that were examined, 14 patients (17.5%) presented with ATT-induced hepatitis as one of the complications of the treatment. Alternatively, 66 patients (82.5%) presented with no hepatic complications of the therapy. The findings indicate a strong correlation between age and ATT-induced hepatitis (p = 0.035) and patients ≥ 35 years old were at higher risk of developing hepatic side effects. Hepatitis developed in 19.6% of men and 14.7% of women (p = 0.572), indicating no gender difference. Hepatitis developed in 12.1% of overweight patients and 25.0% of obese patients (p = 0.544). Hepatitis was more frequently observed in treated patients for ≤30 days (21.8%) than those treated for 31–45 days (8.0%), although the variation was not significant (p = 0.132).

Conclusion

The study found that 17.5% of patients on anti-tuberculosis treatment developed hepatitis, highlighting a notable risk of hepatotoxicity. Adults aged ≥ 35 may require closer liver function monitoring during therapy.

Keywords
Mycobacterium tuberculosis ATT induced hepatitis Rifampicin Rifabutin

How to Cite This Article

Faraz A, Mustafa F, Pasha AR, Khan FA, Rauf HA, Shaukat N. Frequency of Anti-tuberculosis Treatment Induced Hepatitis in Patients Taking Standard Anti-Tuberculosis Treatment. J Pak Soc Intern Med. 2026;7(1):42–46. doi:10.70302/jpsim.v7i1.2609

Conflict of Interest

All authors declare no competing interests.

Disclosed in accordance with ICMJE and COPE guidelines.

Funding

No specific funding was received for this research.

Funder information follows the Crossref Funder Registry standard.

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CC BY CC BY 4.0 This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. May be shared and adapted with attribution. © 2026 Journal of Pakistan Society of Internal Medicine.
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