Deoxyuridine Unit Converter

Deoxyuridine is a pyrimidine nucleoside made up of the base uracil linked to deoxyribose sugar. It is an intermediate in nucleotide metabolism, and its monophosphate form (dUMP) is the direct substrate that cells use to make thymidine, one of the four building blocks of DNA.

In healthy individuals, the enzyme thymidine phosphorylase (TP) rapidly breaks down deoxyuridine, keeping plasma levels very low or undetectable. When TP activity is reduced or absent, deoxyuridine accumulates in the blood.

Plasma deoxyuridine is measured primarily to help diagnose MNGIE (mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy), a rare genetic disorder caused by thymidine phosphorylase deficiency. It is also relevant in monitoring certain chemotherapy regimens and assessing folate or vitamin B12 status.

Deoxyuridine is produced endogenously through deamination of deoxycytidine, dephosphorylation of dUMP, and DNA repair processes. It is normally catabolized rapidly by thymidine phosphorylase, an enzyme found throughout the body, with particularly high activity in the liver, white blood cells, and platelets.