The comparison of nucleotide metabolites and amino acids patterns in patients with eating disorders, with and without symptoms of depression.

Purines, pyrimidines, and amino acid level have gained attention recently as potential determinants of mental disorders. However, eating disorders patients (ED) have not been yet appropriately studied, especially subjects with coexisting mood disorders. This paper examines the serum level of nucleotide catabolites and plasma amino acids in eating disorders with hyperphagia, with and without Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Samples were taken from adult persons suffering from eating disorders (two forms: simple obesity and binge eating disorder) with MDD (n = 20) and without (n = 17). Serum nucleotides and plasma amino acids concentrations were analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The nucleotides metabolite in MDD patients had a significantly (p < 0.05) lower uridine. Among MDD patients with ED significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels of asparagine, glutamine, proline, and arginine were found as compared to the control group. This study demonstrated differences in nucleotide metabolite and amino acid pattern in depression patients with eating disorders. This may be relevant to the mechanisms and may help identify biomarkers.

Comparison of plasma nucleotide metabolites and amino acids pattern in patients with binge eating disorder and obesity.

Binge eating disorder (BED) increasingly affects population, but the mechanisms of the disease and its biomarkers are not well characterized. Recently, plasma purines, pyrimidines, amino acid and nicotinamide metabolites profiling attracted attention in studies on pathology and biomarkers of mental disorders but has not been adequately studied in BED. Blood and plasma samples were taken from patients with adult obese with BED (n = 20) and control adult obese without BED (n = 17). Plasma samples were analyzed for nucleotides and amino acid concentrations with high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. BED had a significantly (p < 0.05) lower uridine and hypoxanthine to creatinine ratio compared to the control group. Among the amino acids BED patients had significantly (p < 0.05) lower concentrations of glutamic acid, leucine, isoleucine and the whole branched-chain amino acids group, while the concentration of citrulline was increased. Among nicotinamide metabolites, 1-methylnicotinamide levels were significantly (p < 0.05) lower. This study highlights potential use of profiling nucleotide metabolite and amino acid pattern in BED patients that may provide information on mechanisms and potential biomarkers. However, further investigation in larger population is necessary to identify clinical correlates of the observed changes.