Platelet activation in depression and effects of sertraline treatment: An open-label study.
OBJECTIVE
The authors' goal was to determine whether sertraline attenuates the increased platelet activation seen among depressed patients.


METHODS
They tested 21 otherwise healthy patients with untreated major depressive episode who were 25-52 years old and 21 age- and sex-matched comparison subjects. Patients received 6 weeks of sertraline treatment, and 17 returned for retesting.


RESULTS
At baseline, the depressed patients had greater platelet secretion than the comparison subjects in response to collagen. Depressed patients with a family history of coronary disease had nonsignificantly greater wound-induced fibrinogen receptor binding than the other subjects. Platelet secretion in response to collagen was significantly reduced after treatment with sertraline.


CONCLUSIONS
Sertraline diminished the increased platelet secretion found among depressed patients, although the findings are limited by a lack of a placebo control group.
Markovitz
J H
JH
Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35205, USA.
Shuster
J L
JL
Chitwood
W S
WS
May
R S
RS
Tolbert
L C
LC
D000328:Adult; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003094:Collagen / Q000494:pharmacology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015539:Platelet Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020280:Sertraline / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D003094:Collagen; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D020280:Sertraline