title: Predictive value of amino acids in the treatment of major depression with fluvoxamine.
abstract: Sixteen outpatients (mean age +/- SD 50.18 +/- 11.55 years; 11 females and 5 males) affected by major depression without melancholia (DSM-IV) were included in the study. The control group consisted of 11 healthy volunteers (mean age +/- SD 39.90 +/- 13.39 years; 2 females and 9 males). Patients were treated with fluvoxamine (FVX) 100-300 mg daily. Clinical assessment was performed using the Hamilton Rating Scales for Anxiety and Depression (HRS-A; HRS-D) and the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) at basal time (T(0)), after 4 weeks and after 8 weeks (T(8)). Plasma and platelet amino acid levels were determined at T(0) in all the subjects and also at T(8) in depressed patients. A significant clinical improvement was observed in depressed patients according to the HRS-A (p = 0.004), HRS-D (p = 0.008) and CGI (p = 0.002). A negative correlation (r = -0.53, p = 0.049) was found between platelet levels of valine and HRS-D improvement rate. Patients showed significantly higher tyrosine/large neutral amino acids (LNAAs) and lower tryptophan/LNAAs, ratios which could represent an index of good response to a serotonergic drug like FVX.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Milan, Clinical Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore di Milano, Milan, Italy. maurimc@polic.cilea.it
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mauri
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boscati
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Volonteri
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Scalvini
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Steinhilber
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Laini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zamberlan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D016666:Fluvoxamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D016666:Fluvoxamine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors