Cholesterol concentrations and clinical response to sertraline in patients with epilepsy: preliminary results.
OBJECTIVE
Low cholesterol levels are associated with depression and suicide in persons with epilepsy. The goal of this study was to determine whether plasma cholesterol concentration is a predictor of response to sertraline.


METHODS
We carried out a prospective open-label study on the efficacy of sertraline as therapy in the treatment of depressive disorder in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Patients were treated for 24 weeks at dose levels between 50 and 100mg/day. All patients were evaluated at the beginning of the investigation and 6 months later by two psychiatrists using a structured interview.


RESULTS
The mean total cholesterol concentration of nonresponding patients was lower than the mean (SD) cholesterol level of responders [3.2 (0.9) mmol/L vs 5.2 (1.5) mmol/L]; this difference reached statistical significance (P = 0.0000). We found a negative correlation between scores on the Hamilton scale and cholesterol concentrations (r = -33).


CONCLUSIONS
The response to sertraline may depend on the baseline cholesterol concentration.
Machado
René Andrade
RA
Epilepsy Section, National Neurology and Neurosurgery Institute, Havana, Cuba. rene@inn.sld.cu
Espinosa
Arlety García
AG
Montoto
Ariadna Perez
AP
D000328:Adult; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020280:Sertraline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D002784:Cholesterol; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D020280:Sertraline