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Decreased plasma tryptophan in pregnancy
H Schröcksnadel1, G Baier-Bitterlich, O Dapunt
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Innsbruck, Austria.
Obstetrics and Gynecology
|July 1, 1996
Summary
Serum tryptophan levels significantly decrease during pregnancy, correlating with gestational age. This reduction may be linked to immune system activation, as indicated by changes in kynurenine and neopterin levels.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Immunology
- Reproductive Biology
Background:
- Tryptophan is an essential amino acid crucial for protein synthesis and neurotransmitter production.
- The kynurenine pathway is a major metabolic route for tryptophan, influenced by immune responses.
- Neopterin is a biomarker associated with cellular immune activation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dynamics of serum tryptophan and its metabolite kynurenine throughout normal pregnancy.
- To correlate tryptophan and kynurenine levels with gestational age and neopterin concentrations.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of plasma samples from 45 healthy pregnant women across trimesters, 15 puerperas, and 20 nonpregnant controls.
- Quantification of tryptophan and kynurenine using high-performance liquid chromatography.
- Measurement of neopterin levels via radioimmunoassay.
Main Results:
- Serum tryptophan concentrations decreased progressively with advancing pregnancy (P < .001).
- The kynurenine to tryptophan ratio increased significantly during pregnancy, correlating with gestational age (ra = 0.714, P < .001).
- Neopterin levels showed inverse correlation with tryptophan (ra = -0.566, P < .001) and positive correlation with the kynurenine to tryptophan ratio (ra = 0.660, P < .001).
Conclusions:
- Tryptophan levels decline during normal pregnancy, potentially due to increased catabolism via the kynurenine pathway.
- The observed changes suggest a link between tryptophan metabolism and immune activation during gestation.