Change in the Equilibrium of the Levels of Free and Bound Forms of alpha 1-Microglobulin and Ulinastatin in Patients with Mood Disorders

• Published in: Neuropsychobiology Vol. 45; no. 2; pp. 62 - 66
• Main Authors: Uegaki, Jun, Shikimi, Tadahiro, Kaku, Koichi, Takaori, Shuji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2002
• ISSN: 0302-282X; 1423-0224
• DOI: 10.1159/000048678

We have previously found that the relationship between the urinary content of alpha 1-microglobulin ( alpha 1M) and ulinastatin (UT) in patients with mood disorders (MD) differs from that in age-matched healthy subjects. Similar results were obtained for the relationship between the content of free forms of alpha 1M and UT in serum, and that between the ratio of the content of free form to the total (free + bound forms) content (F/T ratio) of alpha 1M and UT in serum. As for the content of alpha 1M and UT in serum, statistical differences were not observed between MD patients and healthy subjects with regard to the respective total content of alpha 1M and UT nor the F/T ratio of alpha 1M, whereas the F/T ratio of UT was significantly (p < 0.05) lower in MD patients than in healthy subjects. Furthermore, the serum cortisol content was higher in MD patients than in healthy subjects, and a positive correlation between cortisol content and F/T ratios of UT was demonstrated in the present investigation. These results suggest that the equilibrium of free and bound forms of UT in serum, but not of alpha 1M , tends to decrease the free-form level of UT in MD patients. The efficiency of cortisol, which might increase the free-form level of UT, markedly deteriorated in MD patients. Copyright [copy 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel