Sex Specific Changes in Tryptophan Breakdown Over a 6 Week Treatment Period
Introduction: Despite the knowledge of sex differences concerning neurobiological parameters as well as clinical course of illness in individuals with mood disorders, the literature concerning tryptophan (Trp) breakdown, specific for women and men, is sparse to date. The current study aimed to evalu...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-02-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00074/full |
| _version_ | 1819103358614503424 |
|---|---|
| author | Eva Z. Reininghaus Nina Dalkner Karin Riedrich Karin Riedrich Dietmar Fuchs Dietmar Fuchs Johanna M. Gostner Johanna M. Gostner Bernd Reininghaus Bernd Reininghaus |
| author_facet | Eva Z. Reininghaus Nina Dalkner Karin Riedrich Karin Riedrich Dietmar Fuchs Dietmar Fuchs Johanna M. Gostner Johanna M. Gostner Bernd Reininghaus Bernd Reininghaus |
| author_sort | Eva Z. Reininghaus |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Despite the knowledge of sex differences concerning neurobiological parameters as well as clinical course of illness in individuals with mood disorders, the literature concerning tryptophan (Trp) breakdown, specific for women and men, is sparse to date. The current study aimed to evaluate sex differences in Trp, kynurenine (Kyn) and Kyn/Trp concentrations in general, as well as differences in changes of those concentrations over the course of a 6-week rehabilitation program in individuals with life-time unipolar affective disorder. For this purpose changes in Trp and Kyn as well as the Kyn/Trp concentrations between the time of admission (t1) and discharge (t2) were analyzed in dependence of sex. Furthermore, correlations between Trp and Kyn levels and clinical parameters were performed separately for male and female participants.Material and Methods:Results: For the current analysis 426 individuals with lifetime affective disorder completing a 6-week rehabilitation program were included. In both sexes, psychiatric symptoms decreased significantly over time. There was a significant difference between women (n = 242) and men (n = 184) regarding the changes in Trp, Kyn, and Kyn/Trp over time even if controlled for relevant covariates [multivariate: F(3, 380) = 2.663, η2 = 0.021, p = 0.048]. Kyn as well as Kyn/Trp concentrations increased significantly in men over time (Kyn F = 4.809, η2 = 0.012, p = 0.029; Kyn/Trp F = 7.923, η2 = 0.020, p = 0.005). Results remained the same when controlled for psychiatric symptoms.Discussion: The main finding of the present study is the significant difference between women and men regarding the change in Trp, Kyn, and Kyn/Trp over a 6-week psychiatric treatment period, while the depression severity scores as well as general psychiatric symptoms decreased. Sex specific changes in Trp-Kyn pathways have only been explored to a very small extent to date in the literature but are of high clinical relevance in the context of personalized medicine. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T01:49:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c6688fdb0db3414aa5bd1c4be8e63b2a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T01:49:11Z |
| publishDate | 2019-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-c6688fdb0db3414aa5bd1c4be8e63b2a2022-12-21T18:42:58ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402019-02-011010.3389/fpsyt.2019.00074427553Sex Specific Changes in Tryptophan Breakdown Over a 6 Week Treatment PeriodEva Z. Reininghaus0Nina Dalkner1Karin Riedrich2Karin Riedrich3Dietmar Fuchs4Dietmar Fuchs5Johanna M. Gostner6Johanna M. Gostner7Bernd Reininghaus8Bernd Reininghaus9Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, AustriaDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, AustriaDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, AustriaTZ-Justus Park Bad Hall, Bad Hall, AustriaDivision of Medical Biochemistry, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, AustriaDivision of Biological Chemistry, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, AustriaDivision of Medical Biochemistry, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, AustriaDivision of Biological Chemistry, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, AustriaDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, AustriaTZ-Justus Park Bad Hall, Bad Hall, AustriaIntroduction: Despite the knowledge of sex differences concerning neurobiological parameters as well as clinical course of illness in individuals with mood disorders, the literature concerning tryptophan (Trp) breakdown, specific for women and men, is sparse to date. The current study aimed to evaluate sex differences in Trp, kynurenine (Kyn) and Kyn/Trp concentrations in general, as well as differences in changes of those concentrations over the course of a 6-week rehabilitation program in individuals with life-time unipolar affective disorder. For this purpose changes in Trp and Kyn as well as the Kyn/Trp concentrations between the time of admission (t1) and discharge (t2) were analyzed in dependence of sex. Furthermore, correlations between Trp and Kyn levels and clinical parameters were performed separately for male and female participants.Material and Methods:Results: For the current analysis 426 individuals with lifetime affective disorder completing a 6-week rehabilitation program were included. In both sexes, psychiatric symptoms decreased significantly over time. There was a significant difference between women (n = 242) and men (n = 184) regarding the changes in Trp, Kyn, and Kyn/Trp over time even if controlled for relevant covariates [multivariate: F(3, 380) = 2.663, η2 = 0.021, p = 0.048]. Kyn as well as Kyn/Trp concentrations increased significantly in men over time (Kyn F = 4.809, η2 = 0.012, p = 0.029; Kyn/Trp F = 7.923, η2 = 0.020, p = 0.005). Results remained the same when controlled for psychiatric symptoms.Discussion: The main finding of the present study is the significant difference between women and men regarding the change in Trp, Kyn, and Kyn/Trp over a 6-week psychiatric treatment period, while the depression severity scores as well as general psychiatric symptoms decreased. Sex specific changes in Trp-Kyn pathways have only been explored to a very small extent to date in the literature but are of high clinical relevance in the context of personalized medicine.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00074/fulltryptophankynureninesexsex differencesbody mass index |
| spellingShingle | Eva Z. Reininghaus Nina Dalkner Karin Riedrich Karin Riedrich Dietmar Fuchs Dietmar Fuchs Johanna M. Gostner Johanna M. Gostner Bernd Reininghaus Bernd Reininghaus Sex Specific Changes in Tryptophan Breakdown Over a 6 Week Treatment Period Frontiers in Psychiatry tryptophan kynurenine sex sex differences body mass index |
| title | Sex Specific Changes in Tryptophan Breakdown Over a 6 Week Treatment Period |
| title_full | Sex Specific Changes in Tryptophan Breakdown Over a 6 Week Treatment Period |
| title_fullStr | Sex Specific Changes in Tryptophan Breakdown Over a 6 Week Treatment Period |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sex Specific Changes in Tryptophan Breakdown Over a 6 Week Treatment Period |
| title_short | Sex Specific Changes in Tryptophan Breakdown Over a 6 Week Treatment Period |
| title_sort | sex specific changes in tryptophan breakdown over a 6 week treatment period |
| topic | tryptophan kynurenine sex sex differences body mass index |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00074/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT evazreininghaus sexspecificchangesintryptophanbreakdownovera6weektreatmentperiod AT ninadalkner sexspecificchangesintryptophanbreakdownovera6weektreatmentperiod AT karinriedrich sexspecificchangesintryptophanbreakdownovera6weektreatmentperiod AT karinriedrich sexspecificchangesintryptophanbreakdownovera6weektreatmentperiod AT dietmarfuchs sexspecificchangesintryptophanbreakdownovera6weektreatmentperiod AT dietmarfuchs sexspecificchangesintryptophanbreakdownovera6weektreatmentperiod AT johannamgostner sexspecificchangesintryptophanbreakdownovera6weektreatmentperiod AT johannamgostner sexspecificchangesintryptophanbreakdownovera6weektreatmentperiod AT berndreininghaus sexspecificchangesintryptophanbreakdownovera6weektreatmentperiod AT berndreininghaus sexspecificchangesintryptophanbreakdownovera6weektreatmentperiod |