Skip to main content
British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology logoLink to British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
. 1987 Feb;23(2):229–233. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1987.tb03034.x

Metabolism of azathioprine to 6-thioguanine nucleotides in patients with pemphigus vulgaris.

L Lennard, C I Harrington, M Wood, J L Maddocks
PMCID: PMC1386073  PMID: 3548794

Abstract

Azathioprine metabolism, to red cell 6-thioguanine nucleotides (6TGN), was studied in four patients with pemphigus vulgaris. Throughout treatment blood samples were taken for red cell 6TGN assay and differential white cell counts. Metabolite steady-state occurred in three patients in 2, 2 and 4 months respectively. In the fourth patient red cell 6TGN concentrations increased slowly over 3 years. There was a significant negative correlation between 6TGN concentrations and the white blood cell count (rs = -0.92, P less than 0.0005) in this patient.

Full text

PDF
231

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Al-Safi S. A., Maddocks J. L. Azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) suppress the human mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) by different mechanisms. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1984 Apr;17(4):417–422. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1984.tb02366.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Al-Safi S. A., Maddocks J. L. Effects of azathioprine on the human mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1983 Feb;15(2):203–209. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1983.tb01487.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bach J. F., Dardenne M. Serum immunosuppressive activity of azathioprine in normal subjects and patients with liver diseases. Proc R Soc Med. 1972 Mar;65(3):260–263. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Kinlen L. J., Sheil A. G., Peto J., Doll R. Collaborative United Kingdom-Australasian study of cancer in patients treated with immunosuppressive drugs. Br Med J. 1979 Dec 8;2(6203):1461–1466. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6203.1461. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Lennard L., Brown C. B., Fox M., Maddocks J. L. Azathioprine metabolism in kidney transplant recipients. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1984 Nov;18(5):693–700. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1984.tb02531.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Lennard L., Maddocks J. L. Assay of 6-thioguanine nucleotide, a major metabolite of azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine and 6-thioguanine, in human red blood cells. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1983 Jan;35(1):15–18. doi: 10.1111/j.2042-7158.1983.tb04255.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lennard L., Murphy M. F., Maddocks J. L. Severe megaloblastic anaemia associated with abnormal azathioprine metabolism. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1984 Feb;17(2):171–172. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1984.tb02333.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lennard L., Thomas S., Harrington C. I., Maddocks J. L. Skin cancer in renal transplant recipients is associated with increased concentrations of 6-thioguanine nucleotide in red blood cells. Br J Dermatol. 1985 Dec;113(6):723–729. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1985.tb02408.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Lever W. F., Schaumburg-Lever G. Immunosuppressants and prednisone in pemphigus vulgaris: therapeutic results obtained in 63 patients between 1961 and 1975. Arch Dermatol. 1977 Sep;113(9):1236–1241. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lever W. F., Schaumburg-Lever G. Treatment of pemphigus vulgaris. Results obtained in 84 patients between 1961 and 1982. Arch Dermatol. 1984 Jan;120(1):44–47. doi: 10.1001/archderm.120.1.44. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Pemphigus: current concepts. Ann Intern Med. 1980 Mar;92(3):396–405. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-92-3-396. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Penn I. Development of cancer in transplantation patients. Adv Surg. 1978;12:155–191. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Szawlowski P. W., Al-Safi S. A., Dooley T., Maddocks J. L. Azathioprine suppresses the mixed lymphocyte reaction of patients with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1985 Nov;20(5):489–491. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1985.tb05104.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Tidd D. M., Paterson A. R. A biochemical mechanism for the delayed cytotoxic reaction of 6-mercaptopurine. Cancer Res. 1974 Apr;34(4):738–746. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology are provided here courtesy of British Pharmacological Society

RESOURCES