Plasma biopterin levels and depressive state in pregnancy and the early puerperal period.

Abstract

Plasma total biopterin and tetrahydrobiopterin levels of 14 normal pregnant and 15 normal puerperal women (within 1 week after delivery) were measured. In the first group, total biopterin levels were already increased (average: 18.2 pmol/ml) in the second trimester and remained high until the early puerperal period. In the second trimester, the ratio of tetrahydrobiopterin to total biopterin levels decreased to 72.3% and even further to 66.1% in the third trimester. This tendency continued until the puerperal period. Compared with the control group (12 healthy nonpregnant women), total biopterin levels increased during pregnancy and the puerperal period (p < 0.001), and the ratio in the third trimester and the early puerperal period decreased (p < 0.001). The depressive state according to Zung's score appeared most markedly in the third trimester with a mean score of 48, and tended to recover to a mean score of 36.2 in the early puerperal period. In this period, a correlation was found between Zung's score and the total biopterin levels (r = 0.80), and the ratio of tetrahydrobiopterin levels to the total biopterin levels (r = -0.92). In the early puerperal period, total biopterin levels were higher in subjects with Zung's scores > or = 36 (p < 0.001); the ratios of this group were lower than those of subjects with Zung's scores <36 (p < 0.001). Plasma biopterin levels in pregnancy and the early puerperal period closely resembled those of patients with mood disorders who show depressive symptoms from a psychoneurological perspective. Therefore, it seems possible that a depressive state in pregnancy and the early puerperal period has the same pathology as depression.

• Authors: Izumi Omura, Masako Mizutani, Setsuko Goto, Ryo Hashimoto, Tomitsune Kitagami, Hideki Miura, Tatsuro Ohta
• Journal: Neuropsychobiology (Neuropsychobiology) Vol. 45 Issue 3 Pg. 134-8 ( 2002) ISSN: 0302-282X [Print] Switzerland
• PMID: 11979063 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel

Chemical References

• Biomarkers
• Biopterin
• sapropterin

Topics

• Adult
• Biomarkers (blood)
• Biopterin (analogs & derivatives, blood)
• Depression, Postpartum (blood, psychology)
• Depressive Disorder (blood, psychology)
• Female
• Humans
• Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Complications (blood, psychology)