Neopterin and its clinical significance in autoimmune diseases: A minireview*

Abstract

Neopterin, a biochemical marker for the activation of cellular immune responses, is produced in large amounts specifically from macrophages upon stimulation with interferon-gamma (IFN-α). Its excretion in vivo is increased in disease states associated with T-cell activation: viral disease, tuberculosis, AIDS and acute cellular allograft rejection. In these diseases, neopterin excretion is closely related with the clinical activity of the disease. Increased concentrations of neopterin were demonstrated in a variety of autoimmune diseases. In rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease, correlations of neopterin to clinical activity and to laboratory data were found. The clinical application of neopterin assay was also demonstrated in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and ulcerative colitis. In these patients neopterin values correlated with clinical findings and response to treatment. These results suggest that neopterin measurement can be used for predicting prognosis and monitoring of patients with autoimmune disease. © 1993, Walter de Gruyter. All rights reserved.