Platelet serotonin and serum cholesterol concentrations in suicidal and non-suicidal male patients with a first episode of psychosis.
Suicidal behavior is a major health risk in psychiatric disorders, especially in schizophrenia, wherein up to 10% patients will commit suicide. However, the neurobiology of suicide is still unclear. Suicidality has been related to decreased central serotonergic (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) function and reduced cholesterol levels. Platelet 5-HT has been used as a peripheral marker of the central serotonergic synaptosomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum cholesterol and platelet 5-HT concentrations in suicidal and non-suicidal men in the first episode of psychosis and in healthy male controls. Venous blood samples were collected within 24 h of admission, and serum cholesterol and platelet 5-HT were determined enzymatically and fluorimetrically. Platelet 5-HT and serum cholesterol concentrations were significantly lower in suicidal than in non-suicidal patients in the first episode of psychosis, and also lower than in healthy controls. Our results suggest that lower concentrations of serum cholesterol and platelet 5-HT in patients with a first episode of psychosis might be useful biological markers of suicidality.
Marcinko
Darko
D
Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb, Kispatićeva 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. darko.marcinko@zg.t-com.hr
Pivac
Nela
N
Martinac
Marko
M
Jakovljević
Miro
M
Mihaljević-Peles
Alma
A
Muck-Seler
Dorotea
D
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism*; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology; D012016:Reference Values; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*
D015415:Biomarkers; D012701:Serotonin; D002784:Cholesterol