Monitoring and Safety of Azathioprine Therapy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Overview

Journal Pediatr Gastroenterol Hepatol Nutr

Date 2013 Sep 7

PMID 24010109

Citations 8

Authors

Mi Jin Kim

Yon Ho Choe

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Azathioprine is the most common drug used to maintain clinical remission in inflammatory bowel disease. This drug is also important as a steroid-sparing agent in steroid-dependent and chronically active inflammatory bowel disease. Nevertheless, many questions remain concerning the optimal treatment regimens of azathioprine. The dose of azathioprine has to be reduced or the therapy has to be discontinued frequently because of drug-induced toxicity. In this review, we discuss monitoring of thiopurines, adverse events, malignant complications and how to use azathioprine safely and usefully.

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