Twin study shows association between monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and kynurenic acid in cerebrospinal fluid

Preclinical studies indicate a link between the kynurenine pathway and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), but there is a lack of clinical studies examining this further. We here perform a secondary analysis of kynurenine metabolites and MCP-1 in cerebrospinal fluid of 23 twins affected from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or unaffected. We show an association between MCP-1 and kynurenic acid (KYNA), driven by unique environmental influences and a less pronounced association between MCP-1 and tryptophan. No association was detected between MCP-1 and quinolinic acid. Further studies on the mechanism behind the putative relationship between KYNA and MCP-1 are needed. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s00406-019-01042-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.