Towards personalised medicine in autoimmune hepatitis: Measurement of thiopurine metabolites results in higher biochemical response rates compared to standard weight-based dosing of thiopurine therapy

Patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) usually receive maintenance therapy with thiopurines, such as azathioprine (AZA) or mercaptopurine (MP). Genetic polymorphisms in AZA metabolism can lead to variations in thioguanine nucleotide (TGN) and 6-methylmercaptopurine (MMP), both of which can cause adverse drug reactions (ADR). In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a therapeutic TGN range (225-450 pmol/8x108 erythrocytes) has been identified to optimise effectiveness. We evaluated the benefits of a personalised medicine approach to thiopurine dosing, in comparison to standard weight-based dosing.
Source: Journal of Hepatology - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Source Type: research