Clinical studies of thiopurine metabolism in inflammatory bowel disease.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, i.e. primarily Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) is characterised by a chronic or relapsing inflammation of the digestive tract. The thiopurine drugs 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and azathioprine (AZA, an imidazol derivative and pro-drug of 6-MP) are currently used to an increased extent in IBD, particularly in Crohn's disease. Metabolism of thiopurines is comple