| Use of allopurinol to optimize thiopurine immunomodulator efficacy in inflammatory bowel disease. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 21960930 Owner: NLM Status: PubMed-not-MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
The thiopurine immunomodulators azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine are integral to the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly as corticosteroid-sparing and maintenance agents; however, up to 50% of patients do not adequately respond to these agents. Advances in pharmacogenomics and an increased understanding of thiopurine metabolism have led to the practice of measuring the thiopurine metabolites 6-thioguanine (6-TGN) and 6-methylmercaptopurine (6-MMP) to help achieve optimal immunomodulator dosages. Metabolite profiles are also useful for categorizing the reasons for thiopurine treatment failures. A desirable metabolite profile favors 6-TGN production over 6-MMP formation; however, a significant subgroup of IBD patients, perhaps 15%, preferentially metabolizes thiopurines toward the inefficacious and potentially hepatotoxic metabolite 6-MMP. The xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol has been shown recently to advantageously switch thiopurine metabolism toward 6-TGN production in this subgroup of patients, and small studies have shown this switch to be safe and clinically beneficial. This article reviews evidence describing the use of allopurinol to optimize immunomodulator metabolism, provides careful practice guidelines to clinicians considering this strategy, and briefly discusses the potential mechanisms by which this favorable interaction occurs. |
| | |
Authors:
|
Miles P Sparrow |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: Gastroenterology & hepatology Volume: 4 ISSN: 1554-7914 ISO Abbreviation: Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y) Publication Date: 2008 Jul |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2011-09-30 Completed Date: 2011-11-10 Revised Date: 2012-05-07 |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 101262648 Medline TA: Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y) Country: United States |
Other Details:
|
Languages: eng Pagination: 505-11 Citation Subset: - |
Affiliation:
|
Dr. Sparrow serves as Director of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Trials in the Department of Gastroenterology at Box Hill Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
|
| Comments/Corrections | |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Use of Powder PEG-3350 as a Sole Bowel Preparation: Clinical Case Series of 245 Patients.
Next Document: The diagnosis and management of erythropoietic protoporphyria.