Increased DNA-incorporated thiopurine metabolite as a possible mechanism for leukocytopenia through cell apoptosis in inflammatory bowel disease patients with NUDT15 mutation

Background and Aims Polymorphisms in the nucleotide diphosphate-linked moiety X-type motif 15 ( NUDT15 ) gene are associated with thiopurine-induced leukopenia in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). NUDT15-associated subcellular thiopurine metabolism has not been investigated in primary lymphocytes. We hypothesized that NUDT15 mutation increases DNA-incorporated deoxythioguanosine (dTG) and induces apoptosis in lymphocytes. Methods DNA-incorporated dTG in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and 6-thioguanine nucleotides (6-TGN) in red blood cells were measured in patients with IBD undergoing thiopurine treatment. The association of a single nucleotide polymorphism for NUDT15 (rs116855232) with dTG PBMC was examined. The pro-apoptotic effect of DNA-incorporated dTG was examined ex vivo in association with NUDT15 genotypes by co-culturing patient-derived peripheral CD4 + T lymphocytes with 6-thioguanine (6-TG). Results dTG PBMC was significantly higher in NUDT15 variants than in non-variants. dTG PBMC , but not 6-TGN RBC , negatively correlated with peripheral lymphocyte counts ( r = – 0.31 and – 0.12, p = 0.012 and 0.173, respectively). DNA-incorporated dTG significantly accumulated to a greater extent in lymphocytes from NUDT15 variants when co-cultured with 6-TG ex vivo than in those from non-variants and was associated with decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis. Conclusion Increased DNA-incorporated dTG may be responsible for thiopurine-induced leukocytopenia through cell apoptosis in IBD patients with NUDT15 mutation.