title: Monoamine metabolites in CSF and suicidal behavior.
abstract: Cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of the monoamine metabolites 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), homovanillic acid (HVA), and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl glycol (MHPG) were measured in 30 psychiatric patients who had attempted suicide and 45 healthy volunteers. The suicide attempters had a significantly lower CSF 5-HIAA level than the controls, especially those who had made more violent attempts. After adjustment for differences in body height and age between controls and patients, the difference in 5-HIAA level became even more marked. Concentrations of 5-HIAA also were lower than normal in suicidal patients who were not diagnosed as depressed at the time of lumbar puncture, while HVA levels were lowered only in the depressives. A follow-up study of these and 89 more patients (depressed and/or suicidal) revealed a 20% mortality by suicide within a year after lumbar puncture in patients with a CSF-HIAA level below the median.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001827:Body Height; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006018:Glycols / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008297:Male; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010648:Phenylacetates / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D006018:Glycols; D010648:Phenylacetates; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D006719:Homovanillic Acid