Premium
lntracellular thiopurine nucleotides and azathioprine myelotoxicity in organ transplant patients
Author(s) -
Boulieu Roselyne,
Lenoir Alain,
Bertocchi Michele,
Mornex JeanFrançois
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
british journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.216
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1365-2125
pISSN - 0306-5251
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1997.tb00148.x
Subject(s) - azathioprine , thiopurine methyltransferase , organ transplantation , medicine , nucleotide , pharmacology , bioinformatics , transplantation , biology , genetics , disease , gene
Aim Despite widespread use of azathioprine in organ transplant recipients, the mechanism of its myelotoxicity remains unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the importance of thiopunne metabolites on bone marrow toxicity. Methods We investigated the relationship between intracellular concentrations of 6‐thioguanine (bTGN), 6‐mercaptopunne (6‐MPN) and 6‐thioxanthine (6 TXN) nucleotides and the absolute count of white or red cells in forty‐seven lung or heart/lung transplant patients after oral administration of azathioprine. Results No significant correlation between red cell concentrations of 6‐TGN or total thiopurine metabolites and white or red cell counts was found, with no difference between the sexes. Likewise, high 6‐TGN levels were not related to bone marrow depletion. Conclusions These results suggest that red blood cell 6‐TGN alone do not predict the haematopoietic toxicity of azathioprine.