title: Plasma tryptophan levels and tryptophan/neutral amino acid ratios in obsessive-compulsive patients with and without depression.
abstract: We have studied fasting plasma tryptophan (TRP) levels and tryptophan/large neutral amino acid (TRP/LNAA) ratios in 12 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and 12 patients with OCD and a coexisting current diagnosis of major depressive disorder (OCD-MDD). Assessments were made at baseline and after 6 weeks of treatment with fluvoxamine. OCD-MDD patients had significantly lower baseline TRP levels and TRP/LNAA ratios than OCD patients. After 6 weeks of fluvoxamine treatment, OCD-MDD patients had significant increases in plasma TRP and TRP/LNAA ratio, whereas OCD patients had non-significant decreases. Our data suggest that a major depressive syndrome could be a state variable affecting the changes in plasma TRP and TRP/LNAA ratio in OCD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatric Sciences, Istituto Scientifico Ospedale San Raffaele, University of Milan School of Medicine, Italy. bellodl@rsisi.hsr.it
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bellodi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erzegovesi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lucini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Conca
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lucca
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D016666:Fluvoxamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D016666:Fluvoxamine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D014364:Tryptophan