Pharmacokinetics, dose adjustments, and 6-mercaptopurine/methotrexate drug interactions in two patients with thiopurine methyltransferase deficiency
- 1 January 1998
- journal article
- case report
- Published by Wiley in Acta Paediatrica
- Vol. 87 (1) , 108-111
- https://doi.org/10.1080/08035259850158001
Abstract
Two children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) were found to be thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT)-deficient by both genotype and phenotype. They were monitored with haematological parameters and red blood cell concentrations of 6-thioguanine nucleotides (E-6TGN) and methotrexate (E-MTX, including MTX polyglutamates), in relation to the doses of 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) and methotrexate (MTX), during their maintenance chemotherapy. Both patients developed severe pancytopenia at the standard protocol dose of 6MP. Even at 25% and 5%, respectively, of the protocol dose of 6MP, they achieved E-6TGN values several-fold above the population median, but without unacceptable bone-marrow toxicity. Their high E-6TGN values had only a minor influence on their E-MTX values and their tolerance to oral MTX, but severe pancytopenia followed high-dose MTX infusions. Due to the risk of fatal myelosuppression we recommend up-front determination of TPMT activity in patients treated with 6MP or azathioprine.Keywords
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