title: Lymphocyte beta-adrenergic receptor density of patients with recurrent affective illness.
abstract: The binding characteristics of (-)3-[125I]iodocyanopindolol, a high specific activity antagonist for the lymphocyte beta-adrenoceptor, were determined in a group of euthymic lithium-treated patients and controls. There was a statistically significant reduction (less than 20%) in the density of beta-adrenoceptors in a group of 56 lithium-treated patients. Division of this group of patients into the unipolar and bipolar distinction indicated that the abnormality was based mainly in the bipolar group of patients. The unipolar patients with an endogenous form of the illness also showed this abnormality. Reduced beta-adrenoceptor density may be associated with endogenous affective illness. However, the results must be interpreted with caution since lymphocyte fractions prepared for beta-adrenoceptor assays can be contaminated with platelets and since platelets have been reported to have beta-receptors then a proportion of the total binding could be associated with platelet beta-adrenoceptors rather than with lymphocyte beta-adrenoceptors.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020120:Iodocyanopindolol; D007700:Kinetics; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010869:Pindolol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D020120:Iodocyanopindolol; D010869:Pindolol