Adherence to Azathioprine/6-Mercaptopurine in Children and Adolescents with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Multimethod Study
Table 1
Demographic and disease characteristics of the study sample (n = 47).
Parameters
IBD patients in Jordan (N = 16)
IBD patients in NI (N = 31)
Child age (years), median (range)
11 (3–15)
13.5 (3.9–17.4)
Child gender, n (%)
Male
7 (43.8)
20 (64.5)
Female
9 (56.3)
11 (35.5)
Disease duration (years), median (range)
Disease severity#, n (%)
2 (0.5–8)
2.5 (0.4–7.2)
Inactive
14 (87.5)
25 (80.6)
Mild/moderate
2 (12.5)
6 (19.4)
Severe
0 (0.0)
0 (0.0)
Number of medications, median (range)
4 (2–6)
3 (1–6)
Type of IBD, n (%)
Crohn’s disease
10 (62.5)
20 (64.5)
Ulcerative colitis
6 (37.5)
8 (25.8)
Indeterminate colitis
0 (0)
3 (9.7)
IBD medication type, n (%)
Azathioprine
16 (100.0)
20 (64.5)
6-mercaptopurine
0 (0.0)
11 (35.5)
Thiopurine dose mg/kg, median (range)
Azathioprine
2.0 (1.0–2.8)
2.1 (0.9–2.7)
6-mercaptopurine
—
0.9 (0.7–1.1)
Metabolite concentrations
6-TGNs (μM), median (IQR)
4.55 (3.54–6.04)
4.85† (4.31–7.08)
6-mMPNs (μM), median (IQR)
10.18 (4.64–16.68)
13.23†† (8.09–18.34)
NI: Northern Ireland. IQR: interquartile range. #The overall disease severity of each participating child was assessed by their physician, using the Paediatric Crohn’s Disease Activity Index for those with Crohn’s disease and using the Paediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index for those with ulcerative colitis/indeterminate colitis. 6-TGN levels equivalent to 327.6 pmol/8 108 erythrocytes. 6-MPN levels equivalent to 746.5 pmol/8 108 erythrocytes. †6-TGN levels equivalent to 349.2 pmol/8 108 erythrocytes. ††6-MPN levels equivalent to 970.2 pmol/8 108 erythrocytes.
