Thiopurines, immunomodulating drugs used in the management of different chronic autoimmune conditions and as anti-leukemic agents, may exert some cases gastrointestinal toxicity. Moreover, since these agents are administered orally, they absorbed across tract epithelium. On premises, cellular molecular events occurring intestinal cells be important to understand thiopurine effects. However, qua...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The thiopurine drugs, azathioprine (AZA) and 6-mercaptopurine, are established in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Polymorphisms in thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) gene have been associated with adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to AZA. METHODS The aim of this study was to evaluate TPMT polymorphisms and AZA-related toxicity in a Slovak cohort of 220 I...

BACKGROUND Debate exists regarding to whether thiopurine therapy is as effective in ulcerative colitis (UC) as it is in Crohn's disease. AIM To review systematically the efficacy of azathioprine (AZA) and mercaptopurine (MP) in UC, and to conduct a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of AZA/MP for the induction or maintenance of UC clinical remission. METHODS...

The drug-metabolizing enzyme thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) has become one of the best examples of pharmacogenomics to be translated into routine clinical practice. TPMT metabolizes the thiopurines 6-mercaptopurine, 6-thioguanine, and azathioprine, drugs that are widely used for treatment of acute leukemias, inflammatory bowel diseases, and other disorders of immune regulation. Since the d...

Background and Aims. Thiopurines are used in the treatment of Crohn's disease (CD) and thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) activity can guide thiopurine dosing to avoid adverse events. This retrospective study evaluated the safety and efficacy of starting thiopurines at low dose versus full dose in patients with CD and normal TPMT. Methods. This was a single center retrospective study includi...

BACKGROUND AND AIM Rescue therapy with intravenous cyclosporine A (CsA) helps to avoid colectomy in a substantial proportion of patients with severe ulcerative colitis (UC) but the impact on long-term outcome remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to define predictive factors for colectomy in patients treated with intravenous CsA for severely active UC. METHODS A retrospective, single-center st...

The thiopurines, 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and 6-thioguanine (6-TG), are used in the treatment of leukemia. Incorporation of deoxythioguanosine nucleotides (dG(s)) into the DNA of thiopurine-treated cells causes cell death, but there is also evidence that thiopurine metabolites, particularly the 6-MP metabolite methylthioinosine monophosphate (MeTIMP), inhibit de novo purine synthesis (DNPS). The...

According to the US Patent Act, “Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title” (1 ). The courts have construed this statement as covering “anything under the sun made by man” (2 ). Although this language is ...