Molecular analysis of thiopurine S-methyltransferase alleles in Taiwan aborigines and Taiwanese.
BACKGROUND
Thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) is a cytosolic enzyme involved in the metabolism of these thiopurine drugs. Methylation of thiopurine drugs by TPMT competes with the formation of their active 6-thioguanine nucleotide metabolite, thereby potentially modulating the therapeutic and toxic effects of these drugs.


OBJECTIVE
To analyze the thiopurine S-methyltransferase allelic frequencies in Taiwan aborigines and Taiwanese.


METHODS
We used polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method to determine the allelic frequencies of TPMT variants (TPMT*1-TPMT*8) in 409 Taiwan aborigines and 117 Taiwanese.


CONCLUSIONS
The results showed that the allelic frequencies of TPMT*1 were 99.88% and 98.72% for Taiwan aborigines and Taiwanese respectively. The allelic frequencies of TPMT*3C were 0.12% and 1.28% for Taiwan aborigines and Taiwanese respectively. No TPMT*2, 3A, 3B, 3D and 4-8 were found in these populations.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results provide useful information for using thiopurine drugs in these populations.
Department of Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, No. 2 Yuh-Der Road, Taichung 404, Taiwan.
H-F
HF
Lu
M-C
MC
Shih
Y-S
YS
Chang
J-Y
JY
Chang
Y-C
YC
Ko
S-J
SJ
Chang
J-G
JG
Chang
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D013624:Taiwan
D004247:DNA; D008780:Methyltransferases; C022745:thiopurine methyltransferase