Posted Tue, Nov, 26,2013
Published today in International Journal of Tryptophan Research is a new original research article by Ann Atlas, Elisabeth Franzen-Röhl, Johan Söderlund, Erik G Jönsson, Martin Samuelsson, Lilly Schwieler, Birgit Sköldenberg and Göran Engberg. Read more about this paper below:
Title
Sustained Elevation of Kynurenic Acid in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Encephalitis
Abstract
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 encephalitis (HSE) is a viral infectious disease with commonly occurring neurodegeneration and neurological/cognitive long-term sequelae. Kynurenic acid (KYNA) is a neuroactive tryptophan metabolite, which is elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during viral infection as a result of immune activation. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of endogenous brain KYNA for the long-term outcome of the disease. CSF KYNA concentration was analyzed in 25 HSE patients along the course of the disease and compared with that of 25 age-matched healthy volunteers. Within 3 weeks of admission CSF KYNA of HSE patients was markedly elevated (median 33.6 nM) compared to healthy volunteers (median 1.45 nM). Following a decline observed after 1–2 months, levels of CSF KYNA were elevated more than 1 year after admission (median 3.4 nM range: 1–9 years). A negative correlation was found between initial CSF KYNA concentrations and severity of the long-term sequelae.
This study show a marked elevation in CSF KYNA from patients with HSE, most pronounced during the acute phase of the disease and slowly declining along the recovery. We propose that brain KYNA might potentially protect against neurodegeneration while causing a long-lasting loss in cognitive function associated with the disease.
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Published This Week (5th - 9th October)Thu 08 Oct, 2015
Biomarker Insights Paper Endorsed by Editor in ChiefWed 07 Oct, 2015
Interview with Professor Jamie DaviesI am very pleased that I submitted my manuscript to Environmental Health Insights. The submission, review and publication were quick and fair. I hope to submit further papers to the journal. Thank you very much.
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