Using blood tests, the study evaluated the levels of estrogen and quinolinic acid in 150 adolescents from Brazil aged 14 to 16. These teenagers belong to one of three groups – people with lower risk of depression, high risk of depression, people with depression, people with depression. Risk was assessed using tools/metrics developed as part of the IDEA project and a range of factors were considered. There were 50 adolescents in each group who were biology evenly split to explore the differences between male and female adolescents. Teens were followed for three years to assess whether their depression symptoms persist or improved.
Researchers at King’s College London found that adolescents with higher risk of depression or who have depression have lower levels of estradiate with neuroprotective compounds. This reduction is most pronounced among female adolescents, suggesting that girls may be more susceptible to the harmful effects of the kynurenine pathway during adolescence, which may explain why women suffer from depression at a higher rate.
Dr. Naghmeh Nikkheslat, first author and senior research assistant at King IOPPN, said: “Our research suggests that measurements of chemicals involved in Kynurenine Pathway may potentially help identify those with persistent depression, especially in women, and provide us with a supportive approach.
This insight can help provide more targeted support for adolescents with depression through interventions, from medication to lifestyle changes (such as lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise) on the kynurenine pathway. ”
The study also measures specific proteins in the blood that indicate the body is in an inflammatory state and are released during infection, stress or disease. It found that higher levels of these inflammatory markers were associated with increased production of neurotoxic chemicals in the Kynurenine pathway. It is worth noting that this association was found in adolescents with high risk or depression, but not in adolescents with low risk. This suggests that inflammation may drive the gene lysine pathway to produce neurotoxic chemicals, thereby increasing the risk of depression.
At follow-up three years later, studies showed that female adolescents with persistent depression had higher levels of neurotoxic metabolism than those who recovered over time, suggesting that increased neurotoxic activity in the Kynurenine pathway may make it difficult for some adolescents to overcome depression.
