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Title
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Lower serum L-tryptophan availability in depression as a marker of a more generalized disorder in protein metabolism
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Author
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Abstract
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| Recently, it has been reported that major and melancholic depression are accompanied by a lower availability of total L-tryptophan (L-TRP) to the brain and by significant changes in electrophoretically separated protein fractions, such as albumin and α2-globulin. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between serum L-TRP availability and total serum protein, albumin, and α2-globulin in 42 depressed and 24 normal subjects. In depressed and normal subjects, alone and together, there were significant and positive correlations between serum L-TRP and total serum protein or albumin concentrations. In the depressed subjects, but not in normal controls, there were significant inverse relationships between the L-TRP/competing amino acid ratio and the α2-globulin fraction. Serum L-TRP and albumin were significantly lower in melancholic subjects than in normal and minor depressed subjects. Depressed subjects had a significantly lower L-TRP/competing amino acid ratio and significantly higher serum α-globulin than normal controls. Total serum protein was significantly lower in major depressed subjects than in normal controls. The results suggest that lower L-TRP availability to the brain in depression is related to lower serum albumin and to increased α2-globulin fraction, which are both hallmarks of the acute phase response in depression. The results further corroborate the hypothesis that lowered L-TRP availability in depression is related to the acute phase response in that illness. |
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Language
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English
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Source (journal)
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Neuropsychopharmacology. - New York, N.Y.
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Publication
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New York, N.Y.
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1996
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ISSN
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0893-133X
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DOI
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10.1016/0893-133X(95)00181-C
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Volume/pages
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15
:3
(1996)
, p. 243-251
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ISI
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A1996VD48200003
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Full text (Publisher's DOI)
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