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European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
Published in: European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience 4/2013

01-06-2013 | Original Paper

Increased 3-Hydroxykynurenine serum concentrations differentiate Alzheimer’s disease patients from controls

Authors: Markus J. Schwarz, Gilles J. Guillemin, Stefan J. Teipel, Katharina Buerger, Harald Hampel

Published in: European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience | Issue 4/2013

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Abstract

Increased degradation of tryptophan (TRP) through the kynurenine (KYN) pathway (KP) is known to be involved in the molecular mechanisms resulting in the neuropathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Activation of the KP leads to the production of neurotoxic metabolites 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK) and quinolinic acid (QUIN) by immune cells and neuroprotective derivates kynurenic acid (KYNA) and picolinic acid (PIC) by astrocytes and neurons. We therefore investigated whether an imbalance between neurotoxic and neuroprotective kynurenine metabolites could be detected in patients with AD. We measured serum levels of TRP, KYNA, 3-HK, PIC and QUIN in 20 patients with AD and for comparison in 20 patients with major depression, and 19 subjectively cognitive impaired subjects. Serum levels of 3-HK were markedly increased in AD patients compared to the comparison groups (p < .0001). Serum levels of the other KP metabolites were not significantly different between groups. Our data indicate an increased production of the neurotoxic KP metabolite 3-HK in AD. In contrast to its downstream metabolites QUIN and PIC, 3-HK can cross the blood–brain barrier via an active transport process. Our data therefore indicate an enhanced availability of 3-HK in the brain of AD patients, which may be related to the previously reported higher production of QUIN in AD brains.
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Metadata
Title
Increased 3-Hydroxykynurenine serum concentrations differentiate Alzheimer’s disease patients from controls
Authors
Markus J. Schwarz
Gilles J. Guillemin
Stefan J. Teipel
Katharina Buerger
Harald Hampel
Publication date
01-06-2013
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience / Issue 4/2013
Print ISSN: 0940-1334
Electronic ISSN: 1433-8491
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-012-0384-x

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