title: Decreased lymphocyte 3H-paroxetine binding in obsessive-compulsive disorder.
abstract: The pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is mainly focused on the serotonin (5-HT) system and transporter. The presence of this structure in blood lymphocytes prompted us to investigate it, by means of the specific binding of (3)H-paroxetine ((3)H-PAR), in a group of drug-free OCD patients as compared with healthy control subjects matched for sex and age. Lymphocyte membranes and (3)H-PAR binding were carried out according to standard protocols. The results showed that the patients had a statistically significant lower density of (3)H-PAR-binding sites than the control subjects. On one hand, this finding confirms previous data of an abnormal platelet 5-HT transporter in OCD, on the other it provides the possibility to explore the regulation of this structure in this and other disorders, since lymphocytes are nucleate cells.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Psichiatria, Neurobiologia, Farmacologia e Biotecnologie, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. dmarazzi@psico.med.unipi.it
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marazziti
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baroni
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Masala
authors.forename: Gino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giannaccini
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mungai
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Nasso
authors.forename: Giovanni B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Cassano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001665:Binding Sites; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017374:Paroxetine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D017374:Paroxetine