Serotonin in human lumbar cerebrospinal fluid: a reassessment.
An inter-laboratory comparison study was carried out in order to ascertain mean levels of serotonin (5-HT) in human lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Analyses were performed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with either electrochemical (LC-EC) or fluorometric (LC-F) detection. With the detection limits obtained (7-8 pg/ml for LC-EC, 7-15 pg/ml for LC-F) 5-HT was not usually detected in human lumbar CSF. The findings indicate that the true mean concentration of CSF 5-HT is less than 10 pg/ml. This upper limit is substantially lower than all previous reports of 5-HT concentrations in normal human lumbar CSF. The extremely low concentrations of 5-HT present in CSF make it unlikely that CSF 5-HT will be of clinical utility in assessing central serotonergic function.
Anderson
G M
GM
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510.
Mefford
I N
IN
Tolliver
T J
TJ
Riddle
M A
MA
Ocame
D M
DM
Leckman
J F
JF
Cohen
D J
DJ
D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004563:Electrochemistry; D006801:Humans; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D012701:Serotonin / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
D012701:Serotonin