Title: Azathioprine and acquired aplastic anemia
1Azathioprine and acquired aplastic anemia
- Morey Blinder
- April 29, 2005
- Hematology-Oncology Grand Rounds
2Case report - T.F.
- 32 yo WM with a history of Crohns disease
diagnosed in 1992. Complicated by abscesses/
fistulas in past. - Started on Imuran 200 mg PO q.d. (azathioprine)
June 2004. - Traveled to Mexico early July 2004 - CBC was
normal. - GI clinic - 7/28/04 with 3 day history of fever,
rectal pain and was thought to have perianal
fistula and was admitted. - CBC Hgb 8.2 Hct 22.9 WBC count 600 (ANC 0)
platelet count 42,000 - Azathioprine was discontinued.
- Blood cultures were positive for E. coli and S.
viridans - Treated with antibiotics G-CSF and blood product
support.
3Hospital course
-
- 7/31/04 - Surgery for perianal abscess drainage
and debridement of necrotic material - 8/5/04 CBC Hgb 6.4 Hct 17.9 WBC count 300 (ANC
0) platelet count 5,000 - Hematology consult
- Bone marrow exam Markedly hypocellular (lt10)
ME 13 - Consider transfer to BMT for supportive care
- Consider causes of severe marrow suppression
4Thiopurine Drugs
- Thiopurine Drugs, 6-MP (right), AZA, and 6-TG are
used as - - chemotherapeutic agents to treat leukemia
- - immunosuppressive agents to treat IBD,
- autoimmune diseases, and following solid
organ transplantation. - The exact mechanism of the effects of AZA and
6-MP is unknown - - Interfere with DNA and RNA synthesis and
chromosomal replications - - Inhibit proliferation of T and B lymphocytes
- - Interfere with cytotoxicity of NK cells
- Delayed onset of action Mean of 17 weeks for
response in CD pts - Clinical Response rates vary in steroid sparing,
induction or maintenance of remission. - - IBD induces remission in 50 60 pts and
allows steroid withdrawal in 70 of pts - Side effects include
- - Fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, anorexia,
diarrhea, bone marrow suppression - - Rash, hepatotoxicity
5Efficacy of AZA in Treatment of Active CD
Su and Lichtenstein. Gastroenterology Clinics.
2004
6Azathioprine/6-MP treatment Early studies
Study pts. Disease leukopenia
pancytopenia Kolle, 1969 30 JRA/Stills
17 3 Lorenzen, 1969 40 Various
25 4 Ginzler, 1975 73 SLE
8 6 Singleton, 1979 59 Crohns disease
15 0 Pollack, 1980 160 Renal transplant
25 0 Present, 1980 68 Crohns disease
10 2 Mertens, 1981 300 Various
5 4 Hass, 1982 56 MS/Myasthenia
NR 0 Hall, 1985 34 Renal transplant
9 3 Kissel, 1986 64 Various
22 1 Kvein, 1986 32 JRA
NR 2 Hohfield,1988 105 Myasthenia
16 3 Total 1021 28 (2.7)
Antsey et.al. J. Royal Society of Med. 1992
7Azathioprine Metabolism
McLeod and Siva. Pharmacogenomics. 2002
8Azathioprine Toxicity
Baker. Reviews in Gastroenterological Disorders.
2003
9Pharmacogenetics TPMT
- Polymorphisms in a single gene Thiopurine
S-Methyltransferase (TPMT) - influence metabolism
of thiopurine-based drugs - Various TPMT alleles with point mutation(s) in
the ten exons and nine introns as well as the 5
promoter region have been associated with
deficient, intermediate, or normal/high activity. - Trimodal pattern of inheritance Autosomal
Codominant - - 0.3 of the population Low/No TPMT activity
- - 11 of the population Intermediate TPMT
activity - - 89 of the population Normal/High TPMT
activity - Nomenclature Wild type allele TPMT1
- Silent Variant alleles TPMT1s
- Mutant Alleles TPMT2 TPMT18
10TPMT
- TPMT is a cytosolic enzyme which catalyzes the
S-methylation of the immunosuppressive/cytotoxic
thiopurine drugs 6-Thioguanine (6-TG),
6-Mercaptopurine (6-MP) and Azathioprine (AZA). - No natural substrate is known for TPMT, and it
has no known involvement in endogenous metabolic
pathways. - Multiple transcripts (3.2Kb, 1.7Kb, 1.0Kb) are
expressed in lung, liver, skeletal muscle,
kidney, RBCs, and WBCs - In the absence of exposure to thiopurines, TPMT
deficiency has no known effect on human health.
11TPMT Mutant Alleles
Schaeffeler et al. Pharmacogenetics. 2004
12Ethnic Variations of TPMT Alleles
McLeod and Siva. Pharmacogenomics. 2002
13Influence of TPMT genotype on duration of
Azathioprine Therapy
- 61 pts wild type
- 5 pts heterozygous (TPMT3A)
Median 39 wks
Median 2 wks
P 0.018
Black, A. J. et. al. Ann Intern Med
1998129716-718
14Correlation Between Genotype and Toxicity
- Evaluated 23 pts referred to clinic for excessive
toxicity while receiving thiopurine drugs - 6 TPMT homozygous mutants and 11 heterozygotes
65 - (10 normal population)
- Several other studies have also demonstrated that
60 70 of patients suffering from thiopurine
induced toxicity have one or two mutant TPMT
alleles
Evans et al J. Clin. Onc. 2001
15Thiopurine Dosing and Polymorphisms
Evans et al. J. Clin Onc. 2001
16TPMT Polymorphisms and Toxicity
Evans. Pharmacogenetics.2002
17Testing for TPMT Polymorphisms
- TPMT enzyme activity assay
- Analysis of RBC Thiopurine metabolites
- Molecular genetic analysis
18RBC TPMT Activity
TPMT Phenotype was traditionally determined by a
nonchelated radiochemical assay.
- Gold Standard for phenotyping TPMT Activity
- Activity in RBCs correlates with activity in
other tissues - In patients who have had a recent (30 60 days)
RBC transfusion, TPMT activity in RBCs can be
spurious.
14C-MMP Counted
19TPMT Activity by HPLC
TPMT Activity (nmol 6-MTG/gHb/h)
RBC lysates /- 6-TG
None (0.8)
S-adenosylmethionine
Low (17)
6-methylthioguanine (6-MTG)
Normal (36)
Quantification of fluorescent 6-MTG by HPLC
High (76)
20TPMT Polymorphisms RBC Metabolites
6-TGN
6-MMPN
6-TGN and 6-MMPN Metabolite concentration are
measured by HPLC
21When to Measure Metabolites
Recommendations by Prometheus Laboratories
- Following initiation of thiopurine drug therapy
- (after 3 wks to establish steady metabolic
state) - Following any dose adjustment
- (Intended therapeutic range 235 450
pmol/8x108 RBC) - When utilizing a steroid-sparing strategy
- 4. Any time of disease flare
- After six months of treatment
- (TPMT activity may increase due to an
induction effect) - 6. At the time of an adverse event - bone marrow
or hepatic toxicity - Whenever expected response is not occurring
- (To measure effects of concomitant drug use)
- Twice yearly to measure against baseline
- (Therapeutic drug monitoring)
22Correlation between 6-TG and Genotype
- Dubinsky et al. Gastroenterology. 2000
- Individuals were genotyped using Allele specific
PCR - 8 pts were heterozygous for the low TPMT activity
allele (TMPTH/TPMTL) - 84 were homozygous wild type (TMPTH/TMPTH)
- Median 6-TG concentrations in RBCs are
significantly higher in TPMT heterozygotes. While
there is no correlation between 6-MMPN
concentrations and genotype.
P lt 0.0001
23Measuring RBC Metabolites for Therapeutic drug
monitoring of IBD Patients on AZA
- 170 IBD patients treated with AZA or 6-MP. Wanted
to correlate 6-TGN with diseae activity as
measured by IBDQ and Leukopenia. - Inflammatory Bowel Disease questionnaire (IBDQ)
previously validated with higher scores better
quality of life. Patients in Clinical remission
have a minimal score of 170 - Median 6-TGN concentrations were similar in (139
vs. 131 pmol/8 X 108) 56 pts with active disease
and 114 pts in remission. - Questionable usefulness of therapeutic drug
monitoring with 6-TGN
Lowry et al. Gut. 2001
24TPMT Genotyping Genetic Mutational Analyses
- Genotyping has been traditionally performed by
allele specific PCR of most common mutations - 1. TPMT3A (Caucasian)
- 2. TPMT3C (African and Asian)
- Other methods may be used to evaluate many more
mutations
25Genotype/Phenotype Correlation
- Schaeffeler et al. Pharmacogenetics. 2004.
- Investigated the genotype-phenotype correlation
of 1214 healthy blood donors to determine
accuracy of genotyping in predicting TPMT
phenotype.
Phenotyping HPLC Genotyping HPLC Sequencing
26Recommendations for Genotyping
- DNA based genotyping offers a clinically
important strategy to prospectively diagnose TPMT
deficiency and minimize the risk of hematologic
toxicity in patients treated with Thiopurine
medications. - Despite encouraging data the routine use of
TPMT genotyping to make treatment decisions is
still limited.
Genotype-specific 6-MP starting doses for
childhood ALL
McLeod and Siva. Pharmacogenomics. 2002
27Available laboratory testing
Laboratory tests sent to Mayo clinic
laboratory Volume Name Measurement C
ost (1/04-12/04) PRO-predict 6-MMP,6-TGN 273
36 TPMT enzyme assay TPMT 127
9 TPMT genotyping TPMT2 385
6 TPMT3A/3C
28Laboratory testing
- Samples sent to Prometheus Laboratories (San
Diego, CA) - PRO-Predict EnzAct (Enzyme activity)
- Result 3.5 EU lt 6.7 low activity
- 6.7 23.6 Intermediate activity
- gt 23.6 High activity
- PRO-Predict Metabolites (6-TGN and 6-MMPN)
- Result 6 -TGN 1673 (230 400)
-
- 6 -MMPN undetectable (lt 5700)
- 3. PRO-Predict TPMT (Genotyping)
- Result Homozygous TPMT3A
-
29Hospital course
- 8/6/04 Severe exfoliating rash thought to be due
to Imipenem - 8/9/04 Throat culture () HSV
- 8/10/04 Perirectal abscess - debridement with
necrotic ulcer acute and chronic inflammation
() C. difficile - 8/11/04 Oral () HSV
- 8/19/04 Transferred to BMT floor
- 9/3/04 Discharged (day 38) 16 U pRBCs 19 U
platelets - CBC Hgb 10.7 Hct 30.0 WBC count 2,700 (ANC
1,100) platelet count 15,000 - 9/10/04 CBC Hgb 11.6 Hct 33.2 WBC count 3,800
(ANC 1,900) platelet count 40,000 - 2/8/05 CBC Hgb 13.1 Hct 37.8 WBC count 3,000
(ANC 2,100) platelet count 129,000
30Conclusions
- Thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) plays a
major role in metabolizing thiopurine medications
like AZA, 6-MP, and 6-TG - TPMT activity is polymorphic, 10 heterozygous
and 1/300 have low/deficient activity - Patients with low or deficient TPMT activity are
at a significantly higher risk of rapidly
developing hematologic toxicity when given a
standard does of thiopurine drug. - TPMT genotype correlates well with in vivo enzyme
activity in erythrocytes. - TPMT genotyping provides clinicians with a
reliable method (especially when RBC phenotyping
is not available) for identifying TPMT-deficient
patients who can benefit from low doses of
thiopurine drugs in order to reduce risk of
toxicity. - The availability of CLIA-certified TPMT
genotyping has made routine clinical genotype
testing a feasible approach for optimizing
thiopurine therapy. - Routine monitoring of TMPT genotype and/or
phenotype prior to induction of thiopurine
therapy is a cost-effective measure and provides
one of the best established applications for
pharmacogenetics in clinical practice to date.