Abstract: Objective To explore the related factors and clinical characteristics of liver injury in anti-TB patients. Methods The incidence of liver injury in 721 new tuberculosis (TB) cases received treatment from January 1, 2009 to December 30, 2012 in the Department of Infection Disease of Qingpu Branch of Zhongshan Hospital was calculated, the history of liver diseases, age, gender, status of sputum Mycobacterium tuberculosis, history of alcoho-lism, malnutrition, and other related factors were studied and the clinical symptoms, liver damage degree, time of abnormal with/without history of liver diseases were compared and the influences to anti-TB treatment were analyzed as well. SPSS 11.0 was used for data analysis. Theχ² test and logistic method were used in the comparison of categorical variables, P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.  Results Ninety-nine cases of drug-induced liver injury were diagnosed in 721 patients, accounting for 13.7% (99/721). History of liver diseases (27.5% (39/142) vs 10.4% (60/579), χ²=28.16, P<0.01), age (25－ age group: 8.0% (25/311), 40－ age group: 9.7% (24/248), 60－70 age group: 30.9% (50/162); χ²=28.44, P<0.01), alcohol abuse (29.7% (11/37) vs 12.9% (88/684), χ²=8.43, P<0.01) and malnutrition (19.1% (60/314) vs 9.6% (39/407), χ²=13.58, P<0.01) were risk factors by univariate analysis. History of liver diseases (Waldχ²=22.994, P<0.01, OR=3.272, 95%CI: 2.016-5.312), alcohol abuse (Waldχ²=5.390, P<0.05, OR=2.667, 95%CI: 1.165-6.103), elderly (Waldχ²=21.187, P<0.01, OR=2.010, 95%CI: 1.493-2.706) and malnutrition (Waldχ²=4.563, P<0.05, OR=1.692, 95%CI: 1.044－2.742)were more likely to suffer drug-induced liver injury by multivariate analysis. It took longer to recover from liver injury induced by anti-TB drugs for the patients with liver diseases history (24.2% (15/62) vs 64.9% (24/37), χ²=16.054, P<0.01). On the basis of protecting liver treatment, we had to adjust the plan and prolong the chemotherapy compared to the patients without liver diseases history (28.6% (16/56) vs 53.5% (23/43), χ²=6.325, P<0.05). Conclusion History of liver diseases, the elderly, alcohol abuse and malnutrition are risk factors for TB drug-induced liver injury. It is necessary to monitor the liver function closely and adjust the anti-TB treatment regimen timely in order to complete the chemotherapy smoothly.

Key words: Tuberculosis, pulmonary/drug therapy, Antitubercular Agents, Drug-induced liver injury, Risk factors