Mercaptopurine? What connection to Imuran- azathioprine?

Anonymous

June 6, 2011 at 4:14 pm

Huh?

Here is the connection-

Thiopurine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thioguanine
[COLOR=”SeaGreen”]Mercaptopurine
Azathioprine[/COLOR]

The thiopurine drugs are purine antimetabolites widely used in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, [COLOR=”SeaGreen”]autoimmune disorders[/COLOR] (e.g., Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis), and organ transplant recipients.

Metabolism is catalyzed by S-methyltransferase.[1]
[edit] See also

6-Thioguanine (6-TG)
6-Mercaptopurine (6-MP)
Azathioprine (AZA)

Now, I have satisfied my own curiosity. Why I’m curious? Here is what ‘they say about Mercaptopurine (Labeled Use)

“[I]CAUTION Mercaptopurine is a potent drug. It should not be used unless a diagnosis of acute lymphatic leukemia has been adequately established and the responsible physician is experienced with the risks of Mercaptopurine and knowledgeable in assessing response to chemotherapy.[/I]”

Well, gosh, we all are on something a responsible physician has given us, right?