Instalab

Quinolinate Test

A research-grade marker of immune activation and tryptophan breakdown. Reference ranges are not yet standardized, and clinical use is still mostly investigational.
Is This Test For You?

Who benefits from Quinolinate testing

Curious About Inflammation and Mood
You want to explore whether immune activity might be contributing to low mood, fatigue, or brain fog.
Tracking Healthy Aging
You are interested in research-grade markers that change with age and may reflect tryptophan and NAD+ metabolism.
Managing a Chronic Inflammatory Condition
You have a condition like inflammatory bowel disease and want a broader look at how your immune system is shifting tryptophan metabolism.
Optimizing Cardiometabolic Health
You already track lipids and glucose and want to add a research-grade view of inflammation-linked metabolism.
The Science

About Quinolinate

How to improve

What Moves This Biomarker

Evidence-backed interventions that affect your Quinolinate level

↓ Decrease
Behavioral activation therapy for depression
In a study of 56 adults with major depressive disorder, those who responded to behavioral activation therapy had reductions in quinolinate alongside improvements in depressive symptoms.
Other
↓ Decrease
Structured exercise training
In a randomized controlled trial of 96 elderly participants, structured exercise shifted the kynurenine pathway away from quinolinate production.
Other
↑ Increase
Interferon-alpha therapy
In a study of 35 adults with chronic hepatitis C receiving interferon-alpha, plasma quinolinic acid rose significantly and tracked with depressive symptoms that developed during treatment.
Other
↓ Decrease
Tryptophan-restricted or Mediterranean-style diet
In a case-cohort analysis from the PREDIMED trial of 892 participants, a Mediterranean-style diet was associated with a more favorable kynurenine metabolite profile and fewer cardiovascular events.
Other
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Frequently Asked Questions

Complete the Picture

Related Tests

Quinolinate is best interpreted alongside these tests.

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References

7 studies
  1. Behavioral Activation Therapy and Kynurenine Pathway Metabolites in Depression
    Savitz J, Et Al.Brain, Behavior, and Immunity2020
  2. Exercise Training and the Kynurenine Pathway in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
    Bosslau TK, Et Al.Frontiers in Physiology2023
  3. Kynurenine Pathway Metabolites and Outcomes After Hip Fracture
    Watne LO, Et Al.Journal of Neuroinflammation2022
  4. Plasma Tryptophan and Kynurenine Metabolites and Cardiovascular Events in the PREDIMED Trial
    Yu E, Et Al.Journal of the American Heart Association2018
  5. Plasma Kynurenine Pathway Metabolites and Mortality in Heart Failure
    Lund a, Et Al.Journal of Internal Medicine2020