[A gas chromatographic determination of 6-mercaptopurine in the serum of immunosuppressed transplantation patients].
The knowledge of serum levels of azathioprine or its metabolite 6-mercaptopurine is important for the monitoring of the immunosuppressive therapy after kidney transplantation, especially when kidney function is low. For this reason, the work of Bailey et al. was modified. 6-Mercaptopurine was extracted from the serum with a mixture of isopropanol-ethylacetate (1:1 v:v), derivatized with trimethylaniliniumhydroxyde and measured gaschromatographically. Sulfhydryl-protecting reagents were added to prevent loss of substance. Oxyethyltheophylline was used as the internal standard. The extraction and clean-up method recovered 80% of the 6-mercaptopurine present, the lower limit of sensitivity was 20 ng/ml, i.e., ten times lower than that of Bailey et al. The method could be realized on eight patients treated with azathioprine, the half life of the drug was about 20-40 min within the first hour i.v. application.
D001379:Azathioprine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D015122:Mercaptopurine / Q000097:blood*
D015122:Mercaptopurine; D001379:Azathioprine
Ein gaschromatographischer Nachweis von 6-Mercaptopurin im Serum von immunsupprimierten Transplantationspatienten.