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Measurement of tryptophan, kynurenine and neopterin in women with and without postpartum blues.
- Source :
-
Journal of affective disorders [J Affect Disord] 2005 Jun; Vol. 86 (2-3), pp. 135-42. - Publication Year :
- 2005
-
Abstract
- Background: Activation of the tryptophan-degrading enzyme indoleamine (2,3)-dioxygenase was demonstrated to be critically involved in tolerance induction to prevent fetal rejection. Our study was designed to examine alterations of tryptophan and its catabolic product kynurenine in the postpartum period and to compare them to neopterin as an immunological marker.<br />Methods: 95 healthy women delivering without complications provided blood during labour, and 2 and 4 days after birth. The blood samples were analysed for concentrations of tryptophan, kynurenine and neopterin. Women were asked to perform the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) on days 2 and 4.<br />Results: In women without blues symptoms (n=86) tryptophan concentrations increased within 2 days after birth, whereas they did not change in women with postpartum blues (n=9; 9.5%). The group difference reached statistical significance (p<0.05). The change of the kynurenine to tryptophan ratio (kyn/trp), which estimates the degree of tryptophan degradation, was also different between the two groups at days 0 and 2 (p<0.05). Neopterin concentrations decreased between days 2 and 4 (p<0.05), but there were no differences between the two groups.<br />Limitations: Our study population had a low prevalence of postpartum blues symptoms.<br />Conclusion: Low postpartal mood is associated with continuously low serum tryptophan after delivery due to an increased degradation to kynurenine, but is independent of the postpartal course of neopterin.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Austria epidemiology
Depression, Postpartum epidemiology
Depression, Postpartum metabolism
Female
Humans
Kynurenine metabolism
Labor, Obstetric blood
Labor, Obstetric metabolism
Neopterin metabolism
Postpartum Period metabolism
Pregnancy
Prevalence
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Time Factors
Tryptophan metabolism
Tryptophan Oxygenase metabolism
Depression, Postpartum blood
Kynurenine blood
Neopterin blood
Postpartum Period blood
Tryptophan blood
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0165-0327
- Volume :
- 86
- Issue :
- 2-3
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Journal of affective disorders
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 15935232
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2004.12.013