European journal of clinical investigation
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Jul 2003
Immune activation and degradation of tryptophan in coronary heart disease.
Inflammation and immune activation appear to be important in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease (CHD). Cytokine interferon-gamma, which is released during cell-mediated immune responses, induces indoleamine (2,3)-dioxygenase (IDO), an enzyme degrading tryptophan to kynurenine. Therefore, immune stimulation is commonly associated with an increased kynurenine to tryptophan ratio (kyn trp-1) indicative for activated indoleamine (2,3)-dioxygenase and a measurable decline of tryptophan. ⋯ Decreased tryptophan concentrations were found in a significant proportion of coronary heart disease patients and coincided with increased kyn trp-1 and also with increased neopterin concentrations, indicating an activated cellular immune response. We conclude that in coronary heart disease immune activation is associated with an increased rate of tryptophan degradation and thereby lowered tryptophan levels. Results may provide a basis for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of mood disturbances and depression in coronary heart disease patients.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Jul 2003
Individuals at increased coronary heart disease risk are characterized by an impaired microvascular function in skin.
To investigate whether microvascular function in skin is a valid model to study the relationships between cardiovascular risk factors and microvascular function, we investigated skin microvascular function in individuals with increased coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. ⋯ Increased CHD risk is associated with an impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilatation and capillary recruitment in skin, suggesting that microvascular function in skin is a valid model to study the relationships between cardiovascular risk factors and microvascular function.