Biological parameters in major depression: effects of paroxetine, viloxazine, moclobemide, and electroconvulsive therapy. Relation to early clinical outcome.
BACKGROUND
Clinical and pharmacologic studies report a relative or absolute serotonergic deficiency in major depression; however, the variability of clinical characteristics of illness has led to controversial results. In the present work, we looked for a possible relationship between i) biochemical values that indirectly reflect aminergic neurons activity and clinical characteristics and ii) their evolution and the early clinical outcome under antidepressive therapies (ATs).


METHODS
Platelet serotonin content, platelet monoamine oxydase activity, and urinary biopterins were measured in 27 depressed patients before and during four different ATs (paroxetine, viloxazine, moclobemide, or electroconvulsive therapy). Depressive symptomatology and its evolution under ATs were quantified using three clinical rating scales.


RESULTS
A severe symptomatology, high serotonin (5-HT) platelet content, and high or low urinary B could represent risk factors leading to a smaller or delayed response to an AT. Furthermore, the early improvement under ATs was negatively correlated to pretreatment 5-HT platelet content.


CONCLUSIONS
Determination of 5-HT level could be useful in the choice of an AT.
Laboratoire de Biochimie, Hôpital Neurologique, Lyon, France.
C
C
Lestra
T
T
d'Amato
C
C
Ghaemmaghami
A
A
Perret-Liaudet
M
M
Broyer
B
B
Renaud
J
J
Dalery
G
G
Chamba
D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001549:Benzamides / Q000494:pharmacology; D015415:Biomarkers; D001708:Biopterins / Q000652:urine; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020912:Moclobemide; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D017374:Paroxetine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014745:Viloxazine / Q000494:pharmacology
D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D015415:Biomarkers; D001708:Biopterins; D020912:Moclobemide; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D017374:Paroxetine; D012701:Serotonin; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D014745:Viloxazine