Desenvolvimento, validação e aplicação de metodologia analítica em CLAE-UV para monitoramento terapêutico de metabólitos da azatioprina em pacientes com doença de Crohn

Abstract

The conversion of azathioprine (AZA) to active nucleotides of 6-thioguanine (6-TGN) is essential for clinical efficacy in Crohn's disease. However, other metabolite, 6-methylmercaptopurine (6-MMP), which is formed through a competitive pathway for thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT), is related to hepatotoxicity of this drug. Due to the wide interindividual variability of TPMT and a narrow therapeutic range it is important to accomplish the therapeutic monitoring of active metabolite 6-TGN and 6-MMP, which is an unusual procedure in Brazil. In this study, a HPLC-UV method for simultaneous quantification of these metabolites was developed, validated and applied in 37 Crohn's disease patients. The chromatographic process was performed on C18 column (250 x 4.6 mm, 5 μm i.d.), mobile phase consisted of potassium phosphate buffer (0.02 mol/L, pH = 3), acetonitrile and methanol, flow rate at 1.0 ml/min and UV detection at 291 ηm and 342 ηm. Retention times were 6.2 min (6-TGN); 23.1 min (6-MMP) and 24.7 min (caffeine: internal standard). The detector response was linear at 0.89-29.91 μmol/L (r=0.999) for 6-TGN and 0.90-30.08 μmol/L (r=0.999) for 6-MMP. Limits of detection were 0.29 μmol/L and 0.30 μmol/L, while the quantification limits were 0.89 μmol/L and 0.90 μmol/L, for 6-TGN and 6-MMP respectively. Precision, accuracy and recovery, were according FDA and ANVISA guidelines. The concentrations of 6-TGN and 6-MMP were determined in patients’ blood and the results found ranged from 4.51 to 1515 ρmol/8 x 10⁸ erythrocytes for 6-TGN and from 169.98 to 53.951 ρmol/8 x 10⁸ erythrocytes for 6-MMP. It was observed a reduction of levels of 6-MMP in patients using AZA + allopurinol therapy (2030.7 ρmol/8 x 10⁸ erythrocytes) when compared with patients undergoing monotherapy (9098.43 ρmol/8 x 10⁸ erythrocytes). Another finding was the correlation between the decrease in GOT transaminase in the group of patients who had the active disease with the increase in the 6-TGN levels, similar to previous reports in the literature. These results indicate that the method developed was reliable, accurate and reproducible, and can be used as an important tool in the routine monitoring of patients with Crohn's disease, allowing the individualization of the dose, the monitoring of the adverse effects related to the pharmacological therapy, monitoring the adherence to the treatment and the evaluation of the clinical evolution of these patients.