%0 Journal Article
%T Neopterin in Diagnosis and Monitoring of Infectious Diseases
%A Michael Eisenhut
%J Journal of Biomarkers
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/196432
%X Neopterin is produced by activated monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells upon stimulation by interferon gamma produced by T-lymphocytes. Quantification of neopterin in body fluids has been achieved by standard high-performance liquid chromatography, radioimmunoassays, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Neopterin levels predict HIV-related mortality more efficiently than clinical manifestations. Successful highly active antiretroviral therapy is associated with a decrease in neopterin levels. Elevated neopterin levels were associated with hepatitis by hepatitis A, B, and C viruses. Serum neopterin levels were found to be a predictor of response to treatment of chronic HCV infection with pegylated interferon combined with ribavirin. Neopterin levels of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were found to be higher in patients with more extensive radiological changes. Elimination of blood donors with elevated neopterin levels to reduce risk of transmission of infections with known and unknown viral pathogens has been undertaken. Neopterin measurement is hereby more cost effective but less sensitive than screening using polymerase chain reaction based assays. In conclusion neopterin is a nonspecific marker of activated T-helper cell 1 dominated immune response. It may be a useful marker for monitoring of infectious disease activity during treatment and for more accurate estimation of extent of disease and prognosis. 1. Introduction Neopterin was first isolated from larvae of bees, in worker bees and in royal jelly in 1963, and subsequently from human urine by Sakurai and Goto in 1967 [1]. Neopterin or 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-(D-erythro-1กไ,2กไ,3กไ-trihydroxypropyl)-pteridine is produced from guanosine triphosphate via guanosine triphosphate cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH I) by activated monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells, and endothelial cells and to a lesser extent in renal epithelial cells, fibroblasts, and vascular smooth muscle cells upon stimulation mainly by interferon gamma and to a lesser extent by interferon alpha and beta with its release being enhanced by tumor necrosis factor [2, 3]. GTPCH I mRNA expression is synergistically and independently induced by interferon gamma through the Jak2/Stat pathway of nuclear transcription regulation and through TNF by the NF-kappaB pathway (see Figure 1) [4]. Release in response to cytokines released by T-lymphocytes and natural killer cells make neopterin an indicator of activation of cell mediated immunity including release by infections associated with activation of T-lymphocytes and natural killer cells,
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jbm/2013/196432/