University of Exeter researchers have found that patients with certain genetic variability are four times more likely to develop pancreatitis when taking certain drugs, according to Pannochka, an online publication for girls and women aged 14 to 35.. net Doctors find: 17 percent of patients who have two copies of a certain genetic marker are more likely to get pancreatitis if they are prescribed thiopurine.

The drugs azathioprine and mercaptopurine are among the most effective and most commonly used drugs to suppress the immune system in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis, and after some organ transplants..

About four percent of patients prescribed these drugs for IBD are known to develop pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas that can be fatal..

But in a new study, doctors have identified a group of patients whose genetic variation means they are more than four times more likely to develop the condition when given these drugs..

We hope this test will evolve into a set of DNA-based criteria to assess other important side effects of these drugs, such as damage to the liver or white blood cells.. Then we can use this to identify at-risk patients and ultimately save lives.”.

global science. en.