Tryptophan degradation is associated with risk-taking propensity in methamphetamine users with treated HIV infection

We examined the associations between kynurenine/tryptophan ratio and phenylalanine/tyrosine ratio with BART scores using multiple linear regression. A higher kynurenine/tryptophan ratio was independently associated with greater BART scores (beta  = 0.25; 95% CI = 0.05–1.23;p = 0.034). The phenylalanine/tyrosine ratio was not significantly associated with BART scores. Findings support the need for further research to elucidate the neuroimmune mechanisms linking tryptophan degradation with impulsivity to catalyze the development novel pharmacologic treatments for peo ple living with HIV who use methamphetamine.
Source: Journal of NeuroVirology - Category: Neurology Source Type: research