Increase of tryptophan in serum and in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with HIV infection during zidovudine therapy

• Published in: Advances in experimental medicine and biology Vol. 398; p. 131
• Main Authors: Fuchs, D, Gisslén, M, Larsson, M, Norkrans, G, Hagberg, L, Wachter, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 1996
• Subjects: Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use; Biopterins - analogs & derivatives; Biopterins - blood; Biopterins - cerebrospinal fluid; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; HIV Infections - blood; HIV Infections - cerebrospinal fluid; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Seropositivity - blood; HIV Seropositivity - cerebrospinal fluid; HIV Seropositivity - drug therapy; Humans; Kynurenine - blood; Kynurenine - cerebrospinal fluid; Neopterin; Quinolinic Acid - blood; Quinolinic Acid - cerebrospinal fluid; Radioimmunoassay; Time Factors; Tryptophan - blood; Tryptophan - cerebrospinal fluid; Zidovudine - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 0065-2598
• DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4613-0381-7_21

A high percentage of patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection presents with decreased tryptophan concentrations in serum and cerebrospinal fluid. In parallel degradation products of tryptophan like kynurenine and quinolinic acid are increased. We investigated the behavior of tryptophan concentrations in 14 patients with HIV infection before and during treatment with zidovudine, and we found a significant increase of tryptophan in serum and cerebrospinal fluid after 4-14 months of therapy. In parallel, neopterin concentrations decreased significantly. Moreover, an association existed in cerebrospinal fluid between the degree of tryptophan increase and neopterin decrease. Thus, treatment with zidovudine contributes to a gradual normalization of tryptophan metabolism in patients with HIV-1 infection. The data imply that zidovudine therapy is associated not only with a reduction of virus replication but also immune activation is reduced.