Tryptophan and kynurenine in bipolar disorder in a longitudinal setting.

Abstract

The amino acid tryptophan metabolism plays a significant role in the physiological and pathological functions that are involved in inflammatory processes, which explains why many researchers have been interested in this area in recent years. The metabolites of tryptophan, in particular towards kynurenine and its catabolites, were proved to be linked with cardiovascular diseases, chronic diseases, cancers, and further with neuropsychiatric disorders. Changes in tryptophan- and kynurenine metabolism are shown to be involved in bipolar disorder (BD), a chronic psychiatric disorder. Increased kynurenine and its derivatives have been associated with illness episodes in previous studies. Currently, diagnosis and treatment considerations are based solely on clinical presentation. Therefore, biomarkers that provide information on disease stage and progression play an important role in research efforts. This thesis focuses on changes that appear in tryptophan metabolism towards kynurenine pathway in particular, in a longitudinal study setting. Another substance discussed in this thesis is neopterin, a biochemical marker implicated in cell-mediated immunity.

Date of Award	2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Oradea
Supervisor	Frederike Fellendorf (Supervisor)