| Theme |
Current Therapy of IBD |
| Title |
AZA/6-MP for Ulcerative Colitis and Crohnʼs Disease |
| Author |
Tomoharu Yajima |
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine |
| Author |
Yasushi Iwao |
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine |
| Author |
Toshifumi Hibi |
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine |
| [ Summary ] |
Immunomodulatory drugs, such as azathioprine (AZA) and 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) have been used successfully in patients with refractory ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. AZA and 6-MP are useful for maintenance of remission and exertion of steroid-sparing effects. AZA and 6-MP are both slow-acting drugs and thus often take a number of weeks to exhibit their full effects. The optimal daily dosage of AZA or 6-MP is different for individual patients. It is important to adjust the doseage of AZA/6-MP properly by monitoring efficacy and adverse effects. Recently, the safety of AZA/6-MP during pregnancy and breastfeeding has been proven. In this manuscript, tangible methods to use AZA/6-MP for treating Japanese IBD patients are introduced. |