Association Between Neopterin Production and other Parameters in a Population of Blood Donors

Abstract

Neopterin is released from human monocyte-derived macrophages preferentially upon stimulation with the Thlcell cytokine interferon-γ. In humans, increased concentrations of neopterin in serum and urine have been found in viral infections including human immunodeficiency virus type 1, various malignant disorders, autoimmune diseases and during allograft rejection episodes. In order to find additional parameters which might influence neopterin production, serum neopterin concentrations of 1156 blood donors were compared with other parameters routinely determined in blood transfusion. There existed correlations between serum neopterin concentration and blood donors' age (Spearman's rank correlation: rs = 0.259, ρ <0.0001), arterial diastolic blood pressure (rs 0.132, ρ <0.0001) and body mass index (rs = 0.084, ρ <0.01). Serum neopterin concentrations were lower in smokers compared to nonsmokers (Mann-Whitney test, ρ <0.0001). The data demonstrate that higher neopterin concentrations are associated with older age, higher diastolic blood pressure and higher body mass index, whereas lower neopterin concentrations are found in smokers compared to nonsmokers. It is assumed that immunopathogenetic pathways underlie these relationships, but the exact background of these associations still needs to be resolved.

Keywords

• neopterin
• blood transfusion
• blood pressure
• smoking
• interferon-γ
• ageing