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Serotonin is the main tryptophan metabolite associated with psychiatric comorbidity in abstinent cocaine-addicted patients.

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2019-11-14

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Araos, Pedro
Vidal, Rebeca
O'Shea, Esther
Pedraz, María
García-Marchena, Nuria
Serrano, Antonia
Suárez, Juan
Castilla-Ortega, Estela
Ruiz, Juan Jesús
Campos-Cloute, Rafael

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The lack of effective treatments and a high rate of relapse in cocaine addiction constitute a major health problem. The present study was conducted to examine the expression of tryptophan-derived metabolites in the context of cocaine addiction and psychiatric comorbidity, which is common in addicted subjects. Abstinent patients with cocaine use disorder (CUD) and control subjects were recruited for a cross-sectional study. Participants were assessed with a semi-structured diagnostic interview (PRISM) based on DSM-IV-TR for substance and mental disorders. Plasma concentrations of tryptophan metabolites and their association with relevant CUD-related variables and psychiatric comorbidity were explored. We observed decreased plasma kynurenic acid concentrations in the cocaine group, however no associations between CUD-related variables and tryptophan-derived metabolites were found. In contrast, 5-HT concentrations were increased in CUD-patients and the diagnosis of different psychiatric disorders in the cocaine group was related to higher plasma 5-HT concentrations compared with non-comorbid patients. Therefore, while changes in plasma kynurenic acid concentrations appear to be directly associated with lifetime CUD, changes in 5-HT concentrations are associated with psychiatric comorbidity. These results emphasize the need to find potential biomarkers for a better stratification of cocaine-addicted patients in order to develop therapeutic approaches to prevent cocaine relapse.

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Adult
Case-Control Studies
Cocaine-Related Disorders
Comorbidity
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Kynurenic Acid
Male
Mental Disorders
Serotonin
Tryptophan

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