Common alterations in the serotonin transporter in platelets and lymphocytes of psychotic patients.
BACKGROUND
Given the controversial data concerning the role of the serotonin (5-HT) transporter in psychosis, our study was aimed to investigate this structure by means of the measurements of the re-uptake kinetics and of the protein density, in both platelets and lymphocytes of 25 out- and inpatients with different psychotic disorders.


METHODS
Diagnoses, according to DSM-IV criteria, were bipolar 1 disorders with mood incongruent psychotic features (14), mixed states (7) and schizophrenia (4). Twenty-five matched healthy subjects were also selected as the control group. Platelet and lymphocyte membranes were prepared according to standardized protocols, as were the [3H]5HT re-uptake and [3H]paroxetine ([3H]Par) binding.


RESULTS
The results of this study showed a decreased density of the [3H]Par binding sites coupled with a reduced velocity of [3H]5-HT re-uptake in both platelets and lymphocytes of psychotic patients, as compared with healthy control subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings would suggest a general abnormality of the 5-HT system in psychotic patients, probably not confined only to the brain.
Marazziti
D
D
Dipartimento di Psichiatria, Neurobiologia, Farmacologia e Biotecnologie, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. dmarazzi@psico.med.unipi.it
Dell'Osso
B
B
Baroni
S
S
Betti
L
L
Catena
M
M
Giannaccini
G
G
Lucacchini
A
A
Cassano
G B
GB
D000328:Adult; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000187:drug effects; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D017374:Paroxetine / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000097:blood*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
D017374:Paroxetine; D012701:Serotonin; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors