title: Effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor therapy on endothelial function and inflammatory markers in patients with coronary heart disease.
abstract: We investigated the effect of sertraline on inflammation and endothelial function in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and symptoms of depression. One hundred patients with CHD and depression were randomized in a double-blind fashion to receive sertraline or a placebo. We measured symptoms of depression (Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score), levels of inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)), and flow-dependent endothelium-mediated dilation (FMD) before and after 20 weeks of treatment. Sertraline treatment significantly reduced the BDI score as compared with both baseline and placebo. Levels of CRP and IL-6 also decreased after 20 weeks of sertraline treatment, whereas they did not significantly change in the placebo group. There was a significant improvement in FMD in patients on sertraline treatment, whereas there was no change in FMD in the placebo group. Sertraline improves endothelial function and reduces inflammatory markers in patients with CHD and symptoms of depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Aging and Nephrological Diseases, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. carmine.pizzi@unibo.it
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pizzi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Angeloni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fontana
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Manzoli
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020280:Sertraline / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014664:Vasodilation
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015850:Interleukin-6; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D020280:Sertraline