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N ‐Desmethylclozapine, an Insensitive Marker of Clozapine‐Induced Agranulocytosis and Granulocytopenia
Author(s) -
Combs Michael D.,
Perry Paul J.,
Bever Kristine A.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
pharmacotherapy: the journal of human pharmacology and drug therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.227
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1875-9114
pISSN - 0277-0008
DOI - 10.1002/j.1875-9114.1997.tb03096.x
Subject(s) - clozapine , medicine , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , granulocyte , metabolite , pharmacology , psychiatry
We reviewed the charts of 58 patients with treatment‐refractory schizophrenia who were receiving clozapine, to determine if the drug's active metabolite, N ‐desmethylclozapine, is a biologic marker for impending clozapine‐induced granulocytopenia and agranulocytosis. No significant correlation between granulocyte counts and patient demographic variables of clozapine and N ‐desmethylclozapine steady‐state plasma concentrations, clozapine: N ‐desmethylclozapine ratio, age, gender, clozapine dosage, smoking status, and race were found. We believe N ‐desmethylclozapine is not a clinically useful marker for monitoring the effect of clozapine on granulocyte integrity On the contrary, its plasma concentrations correlated positively with granulocyte counts.