title: Dopamine transporter binding in females with panic disorder may vary with clinical status.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To date the involvement of dopamine system in neurobiology of panic disorder (PD) has been not investigated by imaging studies in humans. In this study, we evaluated the binding potential of dopamine transporter (DAT) in striatum of patients with PD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects comprised seven female patients with current PD, seven female PD patients in remission and seven female healthy controls, matched by age. Striatal DAT binding was evaluated using single-photon emission computed tomography and [(123)I]nor-beta-CIT tracer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly higher DAT binding in striatum was detected in remitted PD females as compared with both currently ill PD and control females. The females with current PD demonstrated non-significant lowering in striatal DAT binding as compared with healthy controls. The correlation analysis in total sample of female patients showed significant and inverse relationship between striatal DAT binding characteristics and severity of panic symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is first report showing that DAT binding in striatum may depend on the clinical status in females with PD. Our data suggest that increased level of DAT may contribute to stability of remission; however, the exact involvement of dopamine system in PD pathogenesis requires further investigations. The preliminary results of current study should be confirmed by other independent studies and should also be extended to include male patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia. Eduard.Maron@kliinikum.ee
authors.forename: Eduard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maron
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Nutt
authors.forename: Jyrki
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuikka
authors.forename: Jari
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tiihonen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001931:Brain Mapping; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008875:Middle Aged; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010147:Pain Measurement; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds