Lithium erythrocyte/plasma ratio as a predictor of response.
The authors measured RBC/plasma lithium ratios in 33 patients with primary diagnoses of unipolar depression (N=20), bipolar depression (N=9), schizo-affective psychosis (N=2), and alcoholism (N=2). Subjects rated as having marked or moderate improvement at follow-up (average = 17.1 months) tended to have high ratios (greater than or equal to .41), whereas all 9 patients rated as minimally improved were in the low-ratio group. Although further research with larger samples, controls, and longer follow-up is necessary, the results suggest a predictive value for the RBC/lithium ratio.
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000188:drug therapy; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011336:Probability; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy
D008094:Lithium