Novel strategies in the thiopurine treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.
Thiopurine drugs are widely used as immunomodulatory and corticosteroid-sparing agents in inflammatory bowel disease. Despite being old drugs, a renewed research and clinical interest in their application has emerged during the last decade. The application of pharmacogenetic insights and metabolic monitoring, together with treatment strategies in combination with anti-TNFalpha-antibodies and possibilities to modulate their metabolism, has paved the way to a "modern" use of the thiopurines. These aspects are briefly overviewed herein.
Almer
S
S
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, IKE, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. sven.almer@lio.se
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000069285:Infliximab; D015122:Mercaptopurine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013872:Thionucleosides / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D013872:Thionucleosides; D000069285:Infliximab; D015122:Mercaptopurine; D001379:Azathioprine