Plasma precursor amino acids of central nervous system monoamines in children with coeliac disease

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pediatrics
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Coeliac disease is linked to behavioral disorders, potentially due to altered monoamine metabolism.
• Reduced central monoamine metabolism has been observed in children with coeliac disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the brain availability of monoamine precursors, specifically tryptophan and tyrosine, in children with coeliac disease.
• To compare precursor levels between untreated coeliac children, treated coeliac children, and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Measured plasma concentrations of tryptophan and tyrosine.
• Calculated the ratio of plasma tryptophan to other large neutral amino acids.
• Compared these levels across three groups: untreated coeliac children (n=15), treated coeliac children (n=12), and control children (n=12).

Main Results:

• Untreated coeliac children showed significantly lower plasma tryptophan levels compared to treated children and controls.
• Both coeliac groups had lower tryptophan levels than controls.
• A reduced plasma tryptophan to large neutral amino acid ratio indicated impaired brain tryptophan availability, more pronounced in untreated children.

Conclusions:

• Coeliac disease is associated with impaired brain availability of tryptophan.
• This deficiency may lead to reduced central serotonin synthesis, contributing to behavioral disorders in affected children.
• Treatment may help restore tryptophan levels, though further research is needed.