Abstract
Purpose: To explore the DNA incorporation of 6-thioguanine nucleotide levels (DNA-6TGN) during 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) therapy of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and its relation to erythrocyte levels of their metabolites: 6-thioguanine-nucleotides (E-6TGN), methylated metabolites (E-MeMP), Methotrexate polyglutamates (E-MTX), and to thiopurine methyltransferase activity (TPMT). Methods:We studied these metabolites in 229 blood samples from 18 children with ALL (N = 16) or NHL (N = 2) on 6MP/Methotrexate maintenance therapy. Results: DNA-6TGN levels were significantly correlated to E-6TGN (rp = 0.66, p = 0.003) with a trend to reach a plateau at high E-6TGN levels. To explore the relative DNA incorporation of 6TGN in relation to cytosol 6TGN levels, a DNA-6TGN index was calculated as DNA-6TGN/E-6TGN. The DNA-6TGN index was inversely correlated to E-6TGN (rp =-0.58, p = 0.012), which implies that with increasing levels of E-6TGN relatively less 6TGN are incorporated into DNA. E-MeMP levels were correlated to the DNA-TGN index (rp = 0.60, p = 0.008), indicating that high levels of MeMP result in enhanced DNA-6TGN incorporation, possibly due to inhibition of purine de novo synthesis, mediated by some of the methylated 6MP metabolites. Conclusions: DNA-6TGN may prove to be a more relevant pharmacokinetic parameter for monitoring 6MP treatment intensity than the previously used erythrocyte 6MP metabolites levels. Prospective clinical trials are needed to evaluate the usefulness of DNA-6TGN for individual dose adjustments.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology |
Volume | 66 |
Issue number | 3 |
Pages (from-to) | 485-91 |
Number of pages | 7 |
ISSN | 0344-5704 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Aug 2010 |
Keywords
- 6-Mercaptopurine
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
- Child
- Child, Preschool
- Cytosol
- DNA
- Drug Monitoring
- Erythrocytes
- Female
- Guanine Nucleotides
- Humans
- Infant
- Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin
- Male
- Methotrexate
- Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma
- Purines
- Thionucleotides