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Treatment of inflammatory bowel disease with azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine

Chinyu Su1, Gary R Lichtenstein

  • 1Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 3rd Floor Ravdin Building, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283, USA.

Gastroenterology Clinics of North America
|June 5, 2004
PubMed

6-Mercaptopurine and azathioprine have become important therapeutic options for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although accumulating data in the literature have supported the use of these immunomodulators in the management of IBD, marked variation exists in the pattern of clinical practice regarding azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine therapy in patients with IBD. This article provides a critical review of the data on the clinical efficacy and toxicities of 6-mercaptopurine and azathioprine in the management of IBD. Emerging literature on the potential application of pharmacogenetic testing and metabolite monitoring are also discussed.

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