Cavaleri, Daniele;
Crocamo, Cristina;
Morello, Pietro;
Bartoli, Francesco;
Carrà, Giuseppe;
(2024)
The Kynurenine Pathway in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Blood Concentrations of Tryptophan and Its Catabolites.
Journal of Clinical Medicine
, 13
(2)
, Article 583. 10.3390/jcm13020583.
Preview |
Text
The Kynurenine Pathway in Attention-DeficitHyperactivity Disorder A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Blood Concentrati.pdf - Other Download (925kB) | Preview |
Abstract
Preliminary evidence shows that the kynurenine pathway (KP) may be altered in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We thus conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis exploring the peripheral blood concentrations of tryptophan catabolites (TRYCATs) in people with ADHD. We searched the main electronic databases up to 7th December 2023. Standardised mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were used to compare TRYCAT concentrations between participants with ADHD and healthy controls (HCs). We included eight studies. Random-effects meta-analyses found higher kynurenine (SMD = 0.56; 95%CI: 0.04 to 1.08; p = 0.033; I2 = 90.3%) and lower kynurenic acid (SMD = −0.33; 95%CI: −0.49 to −0.17; p < 0.001; I2 = 0%) concentrations in people with ADHD compared to HCs. Additional analyses on drug-free children with ADHD showed higher tryptophan (SMD = 0.31; 95%CI: 0.11 to 0.50; p = 0.002; I2 = 0%) and kynurenine (SMD = 0.74; 95%CI: 0.30 to 1.17; p < 0.001; I2 = 76.5%), as well as lower kynurenic acid (SMD = −0.37; 95%CI: −0.59 to −0.15; p < 0.001; I2 = 0%) blood levels, as compared to HCs. Despite some limitations, our work provides preliminary evidence on KP alterations in ADHD that may suggest decreased neuroprotection. Further research is needed to clarify the role of the KP in ADHD.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Kynurenine Pathway in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Blood Concentrations of Tryptophan and Its Catabolites |
| Location: | Switzerland |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.3390/jcm13020583 |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jcm13020583 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
| Keywords: | Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; tryptophan catabolism; kynurenine pathway; kynurenic acid; peripheral blood; systematic review; meta-analysis |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Division of Psychiatry |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10187167 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
