title: Platelet serotonin and serum cholesterol concentrations in suicidal and non-suicidal male patients with a first episode of psychosis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb, Kispatićeva 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. darko.marcinko@zg.t-com.hr
authors.forename: Darko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marcinko
authors.forename: Nela
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pivac
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinac
authors.forename: Miro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jakovljević
authors.forename: Alma
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mihaljević-Peles
authors.forename: Dorotea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Muck-Seler
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012701:Serotonin; D002784:Cholesterol