Melike Kucukkarapinar, Aysegul Yay-Pence, Yesim Yildiz, Merve Buyukkoruk, Gizem Yaz-Aydin, Tuba S Deveci-Bulut, Ozlem Gulbahar, Esin Senol, Selcuk Candansayar
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in long-term psychiatric symptoms because of the immunologic response to the virus itself as well as fundamental life changes related to the pandemic. This immune response leads to altered tryptophan (TRP)-kynurenine (KYN) pathway (TKP) metabolism, which plays an essential role in the pathophysiology of mental illnesses. We aimed to define TKP changes as a potential underlying mechanism of psychiatric disorders in post-COVID-19 patients. We measured plasma levels of several TKP markers, including KYN, TRP, kynurenic acid (KYNA), 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), and quinolinic acid (QUIN), as well as the TRP/KYN, KYNA/3-HK, and KYNA/QUIN ratios, in 90 post-COVID-19 patients (on the first day of hospitalization) and 59 healthy controls (on the first admission to the Check-Up Center)...
August 2022: Journal of Neural Transmission