Drug Fever Produced by Six-mercaptopurine
Authors: ARTHUR SAWITSKY
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1964)

Case Studies1 December 1964Drug Fever Produced by Six-mercaptopurineARTHUR SAWITSKY, M.D., JAVID RUOHANI, M.D., ROBERT N. LEVY, M.D.ARTHUR SAWITSKY, M.D., JAVID RUOHANI, M.D., ROBERT N. LEVY, M.D.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-61-6-1116 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptThe adenine analog 6-mercaptopurine is an inhibitor of growth in various microbiological systems (1), of mouse sarcoma 180 (2), and of cell growth in several types of acute leukemia in mice (3). The original report by Burchenal and his colleagues (4) that 6-mercaptopurine was effective as an antileukemic agent in human acute and chronic myeloid leukemia has been amply confirmed (5), and the drug is now an accepted agent for treatment of these diseases. Toxic reactions to the drug are frequent, the most common being excessive hematologic cellular depression, nausea, vomiting, and gastrointestinal mucosal ulceration (5). Less frequently a cholangiolitic...References1. HITCHINGSFALCOSHERWOOD GEEALM: The effects of pyrimidines on the growth of lactobacillus casei. Science 102: 251, 1945. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. CLARKEPHILIPSSTERNBERGSTOCKELION DAFSSSCCGB: Six-mercaptopurine: an inhibitor of mouse sarcoma 180. Proc. Amer. Ass. Cancer Res. 1: 9, 1952. Google Scholar3. LAWTAORMINABOYLE LWVPJ: Response of acute lymphocytic leukemias to the purine antagonist 6-mercaptopurine. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 60 (2): 244, 1954. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. BURCHENALMURPHYELLISONSYKESTANLEONEKARNOFSKYCRAVERDARGEONRHOADS JHMLRRMPTCLADALFHWCP: Clinical evaluation of a new antimetabolite, 6-mercaptopurine in the treatment of leukemia and allied diseases. Blood 8: 965, 1953. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Six-mercaptopurine—symposium. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 60: 183, 1954. Google Scholar6. ELLISONSILVERENGLE RRRTRL: Comparative study of 6-chlorpurine and 6-mercaptopurine in acute leukemia in adults. Ann. Intern. Med. 51: 322, 1959. LinkGoogle Scholar7. HYMANGELLHORNWOLFF GAAJA: The therapeutic effect of mercaptopurine in a variety of human neoplastic diseases. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 60: 430, 1954. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. LANDSTEINER K: The Specificity of Serologic Reactions. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass. 1945, p. 310. Google Scholar9. HERIONWALKERPALMER JCRIJG: Endotoxin fever in granulocytopenic animals. J. Exp. Med. 113: 1115, 1961. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. GlLLMANBORNSTEINWOOD SMDLWB: Studies in the pathogenesis of fever— VIII further observations on the role of endogenous pyrogen in endotoxin fever. J. Exp. Med. 114: 729, 1961. MedlineGoogle Scholar11. ATKINSWOOD EWB: Studies on the pathogenesis of fever II. Identification of an endogenous pyrogen in the blood stream following the injection of typhoid vaccine. J. Exp. Med. 102: 499, 1955. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar12. WOOD WB: Studies on the cause of fever. New Eng. J. Med. 258: 1023, 1958. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar13. ATKINS E: Pathogenesis of fever. Physiol. Rev. 40: 580, 1960. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar14. BEESON PB: Tolerance to bacterial pyrogens II. Role of the reticuloendothelial system. J. Exp. Med. 86: 39, 1947. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: New Hyde Park, New YorkFrom the Hematology Service of the Departments of Medicine and Laboratories, Long Island Jewish Hospital, New Hyde Park, N. Y.This study was supported by a grant from the United Leukemia Fund, Long Island, New York.Requests for reprints should be addressed to Arthur Sawitsky, M.D., Long Island Jewish Hospital, 270-05 76th Ave., New Hyde Park, N. Y. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByCytotoxic drug-induced fever: A report on procarbazine-induced hyperpyrexiaAntineoplastic Agents as a Cause of FeverHuman Tissue Transplantation 1 December 1964Volume 61, Issue 6Page: 1116-1121KeywordsDrugsFeversGraduate medical educationHematology and oncologyHospital medicineNauseaOral administrationSarcomaUlcersVomiting Issue Published: 1 December 1964 PDF DownloadLoading ...