Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. It can be diagnosed through a urine test or genital swab.
Indole, a metabolite produced from tryptophan by gut bacteria, may be reduced in trichomoniasis as a downstream effect of the parasite’s tryptophan consumption, though the relationship is less direct than with tryptophan itself.
M. Johnston, D. Kleiner, N. Kunze-Szikszay, M. Euler, T. Perl, L.F. Lawing, S.R. Hedges, J.R. Schwebke. Identification of volatile biomarkers of Trichomonas vaginalis infection in vaginal discharge and urine. Journal of Clinical Microbiology (2023). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10106345/
Tryptophan metabolism is altered during trichomoniasis infection. The parasite T. vaginalis is unable to synthesize tryptophan and must acquire it from the host, potentially leading to lower circulating tryptophan levels.
David M. Engel, et al.. Structure-Guided Insight into the Specificity and Mechanism of Nucleoside Hydrolases from Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma vivax, Crithidia fasciculata, and Trichomonas vaginalis. Acta Crystallogr., Sect. D: Biol. Crystallogr. (2022). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10845162/
Hsin-Yi Chang, et al.. Gene-expression analysis of cold-stress response in the sexually transmitted parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. Scientific Reports (2014). https://www.nature.com/articles/srep01753
J. Matthew Fettweis, et al.. A Novel Trichomonas vaginalis Surface Protein Modulates Parasite Adherence to Epithelial Cells and Inhibits Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation. mBio (2021). https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.03374-20
John S. Lehrer, et al.. Clinical and Microbiological Aspects of Trichomonas vaginalis. Clinical Microbiology Reviews (1992). https://cmr.asm.org/content/5/4/S55
