Biomarkers · Inflammation
Neopterin
Lower values go with lower risk of death. Not measured in our NHANES panel. The curve is drawn from the published study (source below).
Neopterin and risk of death
Published curve higher than the NHANES fitNHANES fit higher
Risk of death relative to the curve's reference value, drawn from the published study (source below).
What studies found when this marker was changed
They describe what happened in those study groups, not a recommendation. See all catalogued interventions.
Measured changes in Neopterin, study by study
2 effects with a numeric size, each from one study arm: the dot is the reported change, the line its 95% interval where one was given. Green points move the marker the way lower risk of death lies; amber the other way. Study results in the groups studied, not predictions for a person.
| Type | Intervention | Reported effect | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| diet | Eating 750 g/week of Atlantic cod for 8 weeks vs continuing a fish-free usual diet in adults with overweight or obesity | Serum total neopterin fell by a median 2.65 nmol/L (IQR -3.68 to -0.45) in the cod arm over 8 weeks (P = 0.018 vs fish-free control); n=22 | RCT | Helland A, et al. Eur J Nutr. 2021;60(6):3237-3248. |
| pharmacologic | Starting antiretroviral therapy with darunavir/ritonavir plus tenofovir-DF/emtricitabine in treatment-naive adults with HIV (NEAT-001/ANRS143) | Plasma neopterin fell 44.3% from baseline after 96 weeks of triple ART; n=119 | RCT | Henderson M, et al. HIV Med. 2026;27(7):1132-1143. |
Things that worsen it
| Type | Condition or exposure | Reported effect | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| clinical | Parenteral nutrition supplemented with glutamine 0.18 g/kg/day for 20 days in anorectic patients | Serum neopterin rose significantly after 10 d of glutamine-supplemented TPN (26.44 +/- 3.08 versus 6.75 +/- 1.73 nmol/L, P < 0.001) | RCT | Mondello S, Italiano D, Giacobbe MS, et al. Glutamine-supplemented total… |
What else moves this marker
They describe those study groups, not an individual, and an association is not a cause.
Diseases and conditions
| What | Effect on the marker | Comparison · population | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ↑ Depression · subjects with depression vs healthy controls, blood neopterin | SMD +0.36 | depression vs healthy controls · 19 observational studies (24 studies, 3075 subjects in the review) | meta analysis · PMID 36089162 |
| ↑ Rheumatic diseases · RD patients vs healthy controls, plasma or serum neopterin | SMD +1.31 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.61) | rheumatic disease patients vs healthy controls (plasma/serum) · 37 studies of mixed rheumatic diseases | meta analysis · PMID 37799718 |
| ↑ Silicosis (ceramic industry workers) · silicosis patients vs healthy controls, serum neopterin | ratio 2.4 | serum 4.37 ng/mL (silicosis) vs 1.82 ng/mL (controls) · 30 ceramic-industry workers with silicosis and 29 healthy controls | case control · PMID 42263500 |
| ↑ Systemic lupus erythematosus · SLE patients vs healthy controls, serum neopterin by HPLC | +23.6 nmol/L | mean 30 nmol/L (SLE) vs 6.4 nmol/L (controls) · 100 SLE patients and 98 healthy subjects, West Iran | case control · PMID 28530466 |
Sources
- Risk curve: Mjelva 2018 (PMID 29458232): all-cause HR 1.24 (1.15-1.34) per 1 SD increase in neopterin (multivariable model); p < 0.001. Scaled to published population values.
- Mjelva et al. Fibrinogen and Neopterin Is Associated with Future Myocardial Infarction and Total Mortality in Patients with Stable Coronary Artery Disease. Thrombosis and haemostasis. 2018;118:778-790.
Map Neopterin against another biomarker.
Related markers: Alpha-1-Antichymotrypsin (AACT) · Alpha-1-Antitrypsin (AAT) · Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA) · CD4:CD8 T-Cell Ratio · CD8+ T-Cell Count · Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) · Fibrinogen · Growth Differentiation Factor-15 (GDF-15)