Background and aim: Azathioprine is the most widely used immunosuppressive agent as an adjunct to corticosteroids in the treatment of pemphigus vulgaris (PV). Thiopurine methyl transferase (TPMT) is a key enzyme in azathioprine metabolism and a genetic polymorphism controls its activity in human tissue. TPMT activity can provide a rational basis to determine suitable dose of azathioprine, theor...

introduction: idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura is one of the most common causes of thrombocy-topenia with varius clinical courses and different responses to its treatment modalities. therefore, we decided to evaluate the clinical course of this disease in our patients. methods: in this case series study, from march 1998 to march 2004, we evaluated 121 patients. as a first line of treatment, ...

Azathioprine was given to 11 patients with pemphigoid who had been on long-term maintenance therapy with prednisone or prednisolone. In nine of these prednisone therapy was withdrawn and all were maintained symptom-free on azathioprine alone, while in two the dose of prednisone was considerably reduced. One patient who had never received corticosteroids was controlled by azathioprine alone duri...

Background: Azathioprine is an immunosuppressive agent that is used in a variety of dermatologic, digestive and hematologic disorders in both humans and small animals. Aims: The effects of long term Azathioprine administration on complete blood count, rate of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes, serum immunoglobulins and protein concentrations of mixed-breed dogs were evaluated in this study. Methods: 24...

The present communication concerns the effect of azathioprine on the mitotic activity of promonocytes and the production of monocytes. In vitro and in vivo labeling with [3H]thymidine showed that during azathioprine treatment the promonocytes synthesize DNA and that, contrary to expectation, the labeling index increases. Cytospectrophotometric determination of the Feulgen-DNA content of the pro...