Comparison of 6-mercaptopurine with 6-thioguanine for the analysis of thiopurine S-methyltransferase activity in human erythrocyte by LC-MS/MS.

Thiopurines (TPDs) are first-line drugs in treating neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD). Evaluation of thiopurine S-methyltransferase activity (TPMT), a major determinant of TPD toxicity, before TPD treatment using 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and 6-thioguanine (6-TG) as substrate was suggested. However, the equivalent of the two substrates in TPMT activity evaluation was unknown, and an alternative substrate was required in TPMT activity evaluation in patients who were already taking 6-MP or 6-TG. Before evaluating the agreement of 6-MP and 6-TG in TPMT activity measurement in patients with NMOSD, the affinity of the two substrates for the active center of TPMT should be established. A computer-based simulation indicated that 6-MP and 6-TG had similar affinities for the two active sites of TPMT. According to the guidelines, an LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated to evaluate the TPMT activity in human erythrocyte hemolysate using 6-MP or 6-TG as substrates via 1 h incubation at 37°C. The method was applied in 81 patients with NMOSD. Evaluated by Bland-Altman plot, 6-methylmercaptopurine and 6-methylthioguanine represented TPMT activities were in agreement with each other. Further studies are warranted to confirm the results.