Evaluation of Serum and Urinary Levels of some Pteridine Pathway Components in Healthy Turkish Children

Autor: Girgin Gözde, Baydar Terken, Fuchs Dietmar, Sahin Gönül, Özmert Elif, Yurdakök Kadriye
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2012
Předmět:
Zdroj: Pteridines, Vol 23, Iss 1, Pp 90-95 (2012)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 0933-4807
2195-4720
DOI: 10.1515/pteridines.2012.23.1.90
Popis: Neopterin, as a non-conjugated pteridine, is synthesized from guanosine triphosphate and its production is upregulated upon the activation of cellular immune response. Alterations of pteridines in body fluids are known to correlate well with existing diseases and stages, prognosis, clinical outcomes and survival data. It is of advantage to have a pteridine database of healthy volunteers to determine normal values. Thereby, especially in children there is no detailed study on pteridine levels. The aim of this study is to initiate the establishment of pteridine database of healthy children in our country. Serum neopterin levels were analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Urinary neopterin and biopterin levels and serum kynurenine, tryptophan levels and kynurenine/tryptophan ratio as an estimate of tryptophan breakdown were assessed with high-pressure liquid chromatography in serum and urine samples of 55 children aged between 3 months and 10 years. The results were evaluated within the subgroups of different ages and sex. Pteridine pathway components were found to be higher in children compared to adults. Higher levels of pteridine pathway components observed within the first years of life may reflect the rapid maturation of the immune system, and environmental adaptation and/or insufficiency of defence systems. On the other hand, it may also relate to a higher frequency of infections not (yet) manifested clinically.
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