Skip to main content

REVIEW article

Front. Reprod. Health
Sec. Reproductive Epidemiology
Volume 6 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/frph.2024.1453714

Tryptophan as a Biomarker of Pregnancy-Related Immune Expression and Modulation: An Integrative Review

Provisionally accepted
Natasa Billeci Natasa Billeci 1Melissa Gotcher Melissa Gotcher 1Sapna Patel Sapna Patel 1Addison Almon Addison Almon 2Hailey Morgan Hailey Morgan 1Danielle Abukhalaf Danielle Abukhalaf 1Maureen Groer Maureen Groer 3Stephanie M. Prescott Stephanie M. Prescott 1*
  • 1 University of South Florida, Tampa, United States
  • 2 MidAmerica Nazarene University, Olathe, Kansas, United States
  • 3 The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Degradation pathways of Tryptophan (TRP) are implicated in a spectrum of physiological adaptations and outcomes associated with pregnancy. The immunomodulatory role of TRP and its metabolites through the indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) pathway is particularly relevant to pregnancy due to its potential influence on maternal and fetal immune tolerance and the mother's health. Methods: A targeted literature search was conducted via PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase, focusing on maternal serum TRP levels in pregnancy. We included original human subject research on maternal serum TRP, published in English within the last five years. We included 16 quality studies with direct measurement of TRP in pregnancy including ten prospective cohorts, four case-control studies, and two cross-sectional studies. Results: TRP levels are reduced both pre- and postnatally in women with depressive symptoms, but not during pregnancy, though the TRP/Kynurenine pathway is disturbed during pregnancy in women with depressive symptoms, women with prolonged labor, women with gestational hypertension, and in adverse outcomes of pregnancy including prematurity and growth restriction. Conclusion: TRP and its metabolites hold promise as biomarkers for various pregnancy-related outcomes. Future research should aim to clarify the mechanisms by which TRP metabolism influences maternal and fetal health outcomes.

    Keywords: biomarkers, Fetal outcomes, pregnancy outcomes, Tryptophan, tryptophan metabolism Tryptophan as a Biomarker of Pregnancy-Related Immune Expression and Modulation: An Integrative Review

    Received: 23 Jun 2024; Accepted: 21 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Billeci, Gotcher, Patel, Almon, Morgan, Abukhalaf, Groer and Prescott. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Stephanie M. Prescott, University of South Florida, Tampa, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.