The concomitant use of 5-aminosalicylates (5ASA) next to azathioprine (AZA) or 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may lead to an increased effectiveness of therapy as higher levels of the active metabolite of AZA/6MP (6-thioguaninenucleotides (6TGNs) are measured.