Immunosuppressive CD14+HLA-DRlow/- monocytes in prostate cancer.

Objective: To determine if the levels of circulating myeloid-derived suppressor cells increase with progression of prostate cancer (PCa); to determine if such cells could contribute to the relative inefficiency of PCa immunotherapy.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from untreated PCa patients (uPCa; N = 18; mean age +/- SD: 72.1 +/- 6.

Thiopurine methyltransferase activity in red blood cells of dogs.

Thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) is an important enzyme in the metabolism of thiopurine medications such as azathioprine. In humans, activity varies widely among individuals, primarily because of genetic polymorphisms. Low TPMT activity increases the risk of myelosuppression from azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine, whereas high TPMT activity is associated with poor drug efficacy.

Canine red blood cell thiopurine S-methyltransferase: companion animal pharmacogenetics.

Thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) plays an important role in the metabolism of thiopurine drugs. In humans, a common genetic polymorphism for TPMT is a major factor responsible for individual variation in the toxicity and therapeutic efficacy of these drugs. Dogs (Canis familiaris) are also treated with thiopurine drugs and, similar to humans, they display large individual variations in thiopurine toxicity and efficacy.