title: Pterin metabolism in depression: an extension of the amine hypothesis and possible marker of response to ECT.
abstract: Urinary excretion of neopterins and biopterins was measured in 23 patients with severe depression before and after receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and 26 healthy control subjects. Patients with psychotic depression and those responding to ECT had neopterin:biopterin (N:B) ratio significantly higher than controls before commencing ECT and positive therapeutic response was associated with reduction of N:B ratio towards control values. As a raised N:B ratio implies failure to convert neopterin to biopterin it is possible that reduced availability of tetrahydrobiopterin, the essential cofactor for the formation of noradrenaline, serotonin and dopamine, may exert rate limiting control over the synthesis of monoamines implicated in the pathogenesis of depressive disorders. The N:B ratio may be a marker for certain depressive subtypes and response to ECT.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Fazakerley Hospital, Liverpool.
authors: D N
authors: DN
authors: Anderson
authors: M T
authors: MT
authors: Abou-Saleh
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Collins
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Hughes
authors: R J
authors: RJ
authors: Cattell
authors: C G
authors: CG
authors: Hamon
authors: J A
authors: JA
authors: Blair
authors: M E
authors: ME
authors: Dewey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011622:Pterins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D011622:Pterins