AI Article Synopsis
- Azathioprine is an immunosuppressive medication used effectively for treating inflammatory bowel disease, with its active metabolite being 6-mercaptopurine.
- Patients with low levels of the enzyme thiopurine methyltransferase may experience more severe side effects, including leukopenia and, in rare cases, pancytopenia.
- Monitoring thiopurine methyltransferase activity is important but should complement regular blood tests, especially in cases of fever and severe neutropenia, where early antibiotic treatment is critical to avoid infections.
Article Abstract
Azathioprine is an immunosuppressive drug that has shown effectiveness in inflammatory bowel disease treatment. Its metabolite, 6-mercaptopurine, is metabolized through thiopurine methyltransferase. Patients with low enzyme activity may have more frequent and severe side effects. The most common is leukopenia, and rarely pancytopenia. The thiopurine methyltransferase activity monitoring shows an individualized profile of enzymatic activity but it should not replace monitoring by performing serial blood counts. In patients with fever and severe neutropenia, early empirical antibiotic treatment should be initiated to prevent severe and disseminated infection. Two patients with this condition are reported.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.5546/aap.2016.e252 | DOI Listing |
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