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Background and aims: The thiopurines are widely used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, but are limited by poor dose effect relationship. The objective was to assess the ability of a novel assay, determining the mono-, di-, and triphosphates, of thioguanine as well as methylthioinosine as individual metabolites in erythrocytes, to predict clinical outcome compared to a routine assay, determining metabolites as sums. Methods: Samples from 79 patients with Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis treated with azathioprine or mercaptopurine were analysed by both assays. Clinical status was determined by the Harvey-Bradshaw and Walmsley indices. The genotypes of thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) and inosine triphosphatase were determined. Results: TPMT wild-type patients with thioguanine nucleotide (TGN) levels below the cut-off level were more likely to have active disease when TGN was measured by the novel assay (p = 0.02), and when thioguanosine triphosphate (TGTP) was measured separately (p = 0.01). When TGN was measured by the routine assay the correlation was not evident (p = 0.12). Neither TGN levels nor TGTP correlated to disease activity in TPMT deficient patients. Patients with methyl thioinosine nucleotide (meTIN) levels above 1500 pmol/8 x 10less than^greater than8 RBCs were more likely to have active disease (p = 0.07). We observed good correlations between the mono-, di-, and triphosphates and their respective sums (R-2 greater than 0.88). Conclusions: The novel TGN assay was better in predicting clinical outcome compared to the routine assay, while determination of TGTP had no clinical advantage and TGTP ratio was not correlated to disease activity. (C) 2014 European Crohns and Colitis Organisation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved., Funding Agencies|Medical Research Council of Southeast Sweden (FORSS) [FORSS-161041, FORSS-235971]; Swedish Society of Medicine [SLS-178771]; County Council of Ostergotland [LIO 130231, LIO 207561, LIO 284811]; Swedish Cancer Society [CAN 2011/401]; Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation (BCF) [12/052]; Ruth and Richard Julin Foundation; Swedish Research Council [2008-4035]

Background and aims: A skewed thiopurine metabolism is a phenomenon associated with both poor treatment response and toxicity. Our aim was to evaluate the frequency of this phenomenon and the relationship to thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) function. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanMethods: All thiopurine metabolite measurements in adult patients (n=4033) between January 2006 and April 2012 were assessed to evaluate the occurrence of a skewed metabolism and the relationship to TPMT genotype and activity. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanResults: A skewed metabolism was observed in 14% of all patients. It only developed in patients with a normal TPMT genotype, but was observed at all TPMT activity levels within the normal range (9.1-24.2 U/ml RBC). Two cases that illustrate typical clinical scenarios of a skewed metabolism and the effect of combination treatment with low-dose azathioprine and allopurinol are presented. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanConclusions: A skewed metabolism is a common clinical phenomenon in patients with a normal TPMT function, which can develop at all TPMT activity levels within the normal range. We suggest that metabolite measurements should be considered in patients not responding to treatment and in those with hepatotoxicity or myelotoxicity in order to detect a skewed metabolism, since this phenomenon can be successfully managed by a combination of low-dose azathioprine and allopurinol.