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Research on Neuropsychoimmunology Dietmar Fuchs, Division of Biological Chemistry, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck
Mood changes and depression are common in patients suffering from inflammatory disorders like virus infections, autoimmune syndromes, malignant tumor diseases and also in the overweight, but the pathogenesis of symptoms is still unclear. Several of our recent studies showed associations between neuropsychiatric deviations in patients and increased neopterin concentrations and tryptophan breakdown (Kyn/Trp) in the blood. Our most recent work sheds more light on this observation and its relevance for neuropsychoimmunology. We have also observed higher blood phenylalanine levels and higher phenylalanine to tyrosine ratios in such patients and also in the healthy elderly. Especially in combination with the measurement of Kyn/Trp, Phe/Tyr determinations can support treatment decisions whether serotonergic or noradrenergic/adrenergic/dopaminergic treatment options are more likely to be useful in the individual patient. More recently also the influence of life style (e.g., physical exercise and sports) and nutrition on these immunobiochemical pathways came into the focus of our research. Several clinical and in vitro studies utilizing the model of freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were performed, and in the years 2015/16 more than 50 papers derived from multiple collaborations worldwide have been published by the group. The reference given below refers to a review article in which the general concept of the works can be deduced and detailed references can be extracted