title: Serotonergic functioning in depressed abused children: clinical and familial correlates.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The goal of this study was to examine serotonergic functioning and concomitant clinical and familial correlates in depressed abused children.
  
  
  METHODS
  L-5-Hydroxytryptophan (L-5-HTP) (0.8 mg/kg) was administered intravenously to 10 depressed abused (MDD-AB), 10 depressed nonabused (MDD-NA), and 10 normal control nonabused (NC-NA) children. The children in the two nonabused cohorts represent a small matched subset of children from a larger interlocking study of the psychobiology of depression. Blood samples for prolactin and cortisol were collected from 30 min before to 2.5 hours after L-5-HTP infusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MDD-AB children secreted significantly more prolactin post-L-5-HTP than the children in the other two groups. There were no differences in baseline prolactin or any of the cortisol measures. Total prolactin post-L-5-HTP was significantly correlated with clinical ratings of aggressive behavior (rho = .48). In addition, children with a family history positive for suicide attempt (MDD-AB: n = 7; MDD-NA: n = 5; NC-NA: n = 2) secreted significantly more prolactin post-L-5-HTP than children with no family history of suicide.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dysregulation in the serotonergic system in abused children appears to be related to both familial and experiential factors.
authors.affiliation: Yale University, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Birmaher
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Perel
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Dahl
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stull
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brent
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Trubnick
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: al-Shabbout
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Ryan
mesh_terms: D006916:5-Hydroxytryptophan; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin; D011388:Prolactin; D006916:5-Hydroxytryptophan; D006854:Hydrocortisone