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Pharmacogenetics during standardised initiation of thiopurine therapy in inflammatory bowel disease.

Hindorf, Ulf LU ; Lindqvist, Malin ; Peterson, Curt ; Soderkvist, Peter ; Strom, Magnus ; Hjortswang, Henrik ; Pousette, Anneli and Almer, Sven (2006) In Gut 55(10). p.1423-1431
Abstract
Background: Firm recommendations about the way thiopurine drugs are introduced and the use of thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) and metabolite measurements during treatment in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are lacking. Aim: To evaluate pharmacokinetics and tolerance after initiation of thiopurine treatment with a fixed dosing schedule in patients with IBD. Patients: 60 consecutive patients with Crohn's disease (n = 33) or ulcerative colitis (n = 27) were included in a 20 week open, prospective study. Methods: Thiopurine treatment was introduced using a predefined dose escalation schedule, reaching a daily target dose at week 3 of 2.5 mg azathioprine or 1.25 mg 6-mercaptopurine per kg body weight. TPMT and ITPA genotypes, TPMT... (More)
Background: Firm recommendations about the way thiopurine drugs are introduced and the use of thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) and metabolite measurements during treatment in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are lacking. Aim: To evaluate pharmacokinetics and tolerance after initiation of thiopurine treatment with a fixed dosing schedule in patients with IBD. Patients: 60 consecutive patients with Crohn's disease (n = 33) or ulcerative colitis (n = 27) were included in a 20 week open, prospective study. Methods: Thiopurine treatment was introduced using a predefined dose escalation schedule, reaching a daily target dose at week 3 of 2.5 mg azathioprine or 1.25 mg 6-mercaptopurine per kg body weight. TPMT and ITPA genotypes, TPMT activity, TPMT gene expression, and thiopurine metabolites were determined. Clinical outcome and occurrence of adverse events were monitored. Results: 27 patients completed the study per protocol, while 33 were withdrawn (early protocol violation (n = 5), TPMT deficiency (n = 1), thiopurine related adverse events (n = 27)); 67% of patients with adverse events tolerated long term treatment on a lower dose (median 1.32 mg azathioprine/kg body weight). TPMT activity did not change during the 20 week course of the study but a significant decrease in TPMT gene expression was found (TPMT/huCYC ratio; p = 0.02). Patients with meTIMP concentrations > 11 450 pmol/8 x 10(8) red blood cells during steady state at week 5 had an increased risk of developing myelotoxicity (odds ratio = 45.0; p = 0.015). Conclusions: After initiation of thiopurine treatment using a fixed dosing schedule, no general induction of TPMT enzyme activity occurred, though TPMT gene expression decreased. The development of different types of toxicity was unpredictable, but we found that measurement of meTIMP early in the steady state phase helped to identify patients at risk of developing myelotoxicity. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Gut
volume
55
issue
10
pages
1423 - 1431
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • wos:000240437600014
  • scopus:33745665758
ISSN
1468-3288
DOI
10.1136/gut.2005.074930
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3b023c39-2143-41a6-a774-a9642905e3cc (old id 154542)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=16543290&dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:12:27
date last changed
2024-02-09 19:14:51
@article{3b023c39-2143-41a6-a774-a9642905e3cc,
  abstract     = {{Background: Firm recommendations about the way thiopurine drugs are introduced and the use of thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) and metabolite measurements during treatment in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are lacking. Aim: To evaluate pharmacokinetics and tolerance after initiation of thiopurine treatment with a fixed dosing schedule in patients with IBD. Patients: 60 consecutive patients with Crohn's disease (n = 33) or ulcerative colitis (n = 27) were included in a 20 week open, prospective study. Methods: Thiopurine treatment was introduced using a predefined dose escalation schedule, reaching a daily target dose at week 3 of 2.5 mg azathioprine or 1.25 mg 6-mercaptopurine per kg body weight. TPMT and ITPA genotypes, TPMT activity, TPMT gene expression, and thiopurine metabolites were determined. Clinical outcome and occurrence of adverse events were monitored. Results: 27 patients completed the study per protocol, while 33 were withdrawn (early protocol violation (n = 5), TPMT deficiency (n = 1), thiopurine related adverse events (n = 27)); 67% of patients with adverse events tolerated long term treatment on a lower dose (median 1.32 mg azathioprine/kg body weight). TPMT activity did not change during the 20 week course of the study but a significant decrease in TPMT gene expression was found (TPMT/huCYC ratio; p = 0.02). Patients with meTIMP concentrations > 11 450 pmol/8 x 10(8) red blood cells during steady state at week 5 had an increased risk of developing myelotoxicity (odds ratio = 45.0; p = 0.015). Conclusions: After initiation of thiopurine treatment using a fixed dosing schedule, no general induction of TPMT enzyme activity occurred, though TPMT gene expression decreased. The development of different types of toxicity was unpredictable, but we found that measurement of meTIMP early in the steady state phase helped to identify patients at risk of developing myelotoxicity.}},
  author       = {{Hindorf, Ulf and Lindqvist, Malin and Peterson, Curt and Soderkvist, Peter and Strom, Magnus and Hjortswang, Henrik and Pousette, Anneli and Almer, Sven}},
  issn         = {{1468-3288}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{10}},
  pages        = {{1423--1431}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Gut}},
  title        = {{Pharmacogenetics during standardised initiation of thiopurine therapy in inflammatory bowel disease.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/gut.2005.074930}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/gut.2005.074930}},
  volume       = {{55}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}