Methotrexate
(MTX)
Material: | 1 ml serum |
Indication | Therapeutic drug monitoring |
Therapeutic range | < 5.0 µmol/l after 24 hours < 0.5 µmol/l after 48 hours < 0.05 µmol/l after 72 hours
High dose: < 10.0 µmol/l after 24 hours < 1.0 µmol/l after 48 hours < 0.1 µmol/l after 72 hours |
Please note | Methotrexate (MTX) is used in cancer therapy and in significantly lower doses for the treatment of various autoimmune processes (especially rheumatoid arthritis). It is a folic acid analogue, which competitively inhibits the dihydrofolate reductase. This means, that less tetrahydrofolic acid is available for the biosynthesis of nucleobases, which leads to an inhibition of cell proliferation (cytostatic effect). The antirheumatic effect of MTX is not yet fully clarified with regard to its mechanism, and is only based partially on its inhibiting effect to the lymphocyte proliferation. Common side effects are (depending on dosage) nausea, hepatotoxicity, stomatitis, hair loss and bone marrow suppression with megaloblastic anemia. The non-desired effects can be reduced considerably by adjuvant supplementation with high-dose folic acid 24 – 48 hours after MTX administration. Caution: Due to its teratogenic effect, MTX must not be used during pregnancy or if the patient desires to have children (Methotrexate embryopathy)! |
External services | ja Labor Zentrum Weser Prof. Dr. med. Schmitz Minden |
More Results for the letter M
- Macro enzymes (MAKROENZ)
- Macro prolactin (MAKRO)
- Macro-CK (CKM1)
- Macroamylase (AMYMA)
- Macroprolactin (MPROL)
- Magnesium (Mg) in serum (MG)
- Magnesium (Mg) in urine (MGU)
- Malaria (IMALA)
- Plasmodia
- Malondialdehyde (MALDI)
- MDA
- Manganese (Mn) in blood and urine (MANGE)
- Maprotiline (MAP)
- Maternity screening (MUVO)
- Measles (MASE)
- Group of the paramyxoviruses, serotype 1
- Medical drugs, therapeutic ranges and toxic levels (MDRUG)
- Mediterranean fever, familial (MEFV)
- Melanin/Melanogen (MELA)
- Melatonin (MELAT)
- Mercury in blood, urine and saliva (MERC)
- Metals in plasma (MEA)
- Multi-element analysis
- Metals in urine (MEAU)
- Multi-element analysis (MEA)
- Metanephrine, normetanephrine in plasma (METAPL)
- Metanephrine, normetanephrine in urine (METAU)
- Methadon (METHU)
- Methanol (METHAB)
- Methyl alcohol
- Methemoglobin (METHB)
- Met-Hb
- Methotrexate (METHO)
- MTX
- Methsuximide (MESUD)
- N-desmethyl-methsuximide
- Methyl hippuric acid, total (MHIP)
- Ortho-, meta,- para-methyl hippuric acid
- Methyl histamine (METHYL)
- 1,4-methylimidazole acetic acid, metabolite of histamine in the urine
- Methylhippuric acid, total (METH04)
- ortho-, meta-, para-methylhippuric acid