title: Tryptophan and quality of life in colorectal cancer.
abstract: We tested the hypothesis that reduced tryptophan availability due to immunological stimulation in colorectal cancer impairs quality of life (QoL) by measuring serum tryptophan levels, and correlating them with serum immunological markers and with QoL indices. Serum tryptophan level was significantly reduced in cancer patients compared with healthy controls. Serum tryptophan/kynurenine ratio and neopterin level were significantly increased in cancer, with a significant correlation between the two variables. Reduced serum tryptophan correlated significantly with worse QoL scores. The results support the hypothesis that in colorectal cancer, QoL impairment may be due to serum tryptophan depletion mediated by immunological activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Road, London SW10 9NH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Widner
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Glover
authors.forename: Don C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: Timothy G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Allen-Mersh
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007737:Kynurenine / Q000097:blood; D011788:Quality of Life; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D007737:Kynurenine; D014364:Tryptophan