Elevated neopterin levels in blood or urine have been shown to be a marker for the activation of cell-mediated immunity in vitro and in vivo. To evaluate whether neopterin levels are elevated in patients with acute viral hepatitis, we measured urinary levels in 13 patients with hepatitis A, 26 with hepatitis B, 12 with non-A, non-B hepatitis, 8 with jaundice and/or cholestasis due to biliary and pancreatic disorders and 3 with alcoholic hepatitis and in 62 apparently healthy HBsAg carriers. Neopterin levels in patients with virus-induced hepatitis were significantly higher than those in patients with other diagnoses. Urinary neopterin levels were above normal in 49 of 51 patients with viral hepatitis and elevations during the course of hepatitis showed a pattern similar to that of the usual liver biochemical tests, suggesting that neopterin levels were related to the clinical activity of the viral disease. In patients with nonviral biliary and hepatic disorders, neopterin levels were usually normal and did not correlate with other liver biochemical tests. These findings suggest that cell-mediated immune mechanisms are activated during viral hepatitis and that neopterin measurement may be of value as an additional surrogate marker for non-A, non-B hepatitis.

Acute Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Cerebrospinal fluid and serum neopterin levels in patients with Lyme neuroborreliosis.

Elevated (greater than 3.0 nmol/l) cerebrospinal fluid neopterin concentrations were observed in 20 of 21 patients with Lyme neuroborreliosis compared with three of 11 control patients with headache, back pain or psychoneurotic disorders. Neopterin concentrations were correlated to mononuclear cell counts and protein concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Following antibiotic treatment, CSF neopterin levels decreased. Serum neopterin levels were not significantly raised in patients with neuroborreliosis when compared to control subjects. Neopterin levels as well as cell count and protein concentration in the CSF are valuable inflammation markers of disease activity in Lyme neuroborreliosis.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Cerebrospinal fluid neopterin and beta 2-microglobulin levels in neurologically asymptomatic HIV-infected patients before and after initiation of zidovudine treatment.

The effect of zidovudine on beta 2-microglobulin and neopterin in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was studied in ten HIV-seropositive neurologically healthy individuals. CSF concentrations of neopterin decreased by 53% (from 20.3 to 9.5 nmol/l, p < 0.01) and beta 2-microglobulin by 36% (from 2.8 to 1.8 mg/l, p < 0.01) four to eight months after initiation of therapy.

Biopterins↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Serum concentrations of interferon gamma, interleukin-6 and neopterin in patients with infectious mononucleosis and other Epstein-Barr virus-related lymphoproliferative diseases.

Serum levels of interferon gamma, interleukin-6 and neopterin were determined in 15 patients with different forms of Epstein-Barr virus-associated diseases: acute self-limiting infectious mononucleosis, chronic active infectious mononucleosis and X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome. In patients with acute type of infection, neopterin, interferon gamma and interleukin-6 were elevated in nearly all patients. In contrast, the situation was less clear-cut in the other EBV-associated diseases; particularly interleukin-6 was undetectable in most cases. The results suggest that concomitant measurement of these diverse immune activation markers may provide interesting insights into the interactions between the virus and the host, and may also lead to therapeutic consequences.

Acute Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Is schizophrenia linked to alteration in cellular immunity?

To reinvestigate the viral hypothesis of schizophrenia as well as possible immunological dysfunction, neopterin, which is an indicator of the activity in the cellular immune system, was determined in acute and chronic schizophrenics. Both diagnostic groups showed neopterin levels within the normal range. Patients with chronic schizophrenia of the residual type presented a significant dependency between neopterin concentrations and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) total scores. In a long-term observation of 14 acute schizophrenic (paranoid type) inpatients, neopterin levels were found to be lowest at day 0. During the first week of treatment neopterin concentrations increased significantly whereas a concomitant decrease of the psychopathological symptoms could be observed. In comparison to healthy controls patients showed significantly lower neopterin levels at baseline. These findings will be discussed referring to the viral hypothesis of schizophrenia as well as to possible immunological alterations caused by stress or by changes in neurotransmitter synthesis.

Adult↗