title: Alexithymia, suicidal ideation, and serum lipid levels among drug-naïve outpatients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  As obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a relatively common psychiatric disorder with a significant suicide risk, the individuation of potential biomarkers of suicidality, such as cholesterol levels, may enable recognition of at-risk subjects. Therefore, the aims of this study were to: 1) evaluate potential differences in clinical and laboratory parameters between patients with and without alexithymia and compare them with healthy controls; and 2) investigate which clinical and laboratory variables were associated with suicidal ideation.
  
  
  METHODS
  79 drug-naïve adult outpatients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of OCD were recruited. Alexithymia was measured with the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), suicidal ideation was assessed with the Scale for Suicide Ideation, and depressive symptoms were evaluated with the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Serum lipid levels of 40 healthy controls were also evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alexithymic patients had altered serum lipid levels in comparison with non-alexithymics and healthy controls. Using a linear regression model, the presence of symmetry/ordering obsessions and compulsions, lower HDL-C levels, and difficulty in identifying feelings dimension of the TAS-20 were associated with higher suicidal ideation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alexithymic individuals with OCD may exhibit dysregulation of the cholesterol balance, which in turn may be linked to suicidal ideation. Further prospective studies are required to elucidate this potential association.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment, Department of Mental Health, G. Mazzini Hospital, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Berardis
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment, Department of Mental Health, G. Mazzini Hospital, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Serroni
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment, Department of Mental Health, G. Mazzini Hospital, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marini
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment, Department of Mental Health, G. Mazzini Hospital, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rapini
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences and Imaging, Chair of Psychiatry, Universitè degli Studi G. d'Annunzio Chieti e Pescara, Chieti Scalo, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carano
authors.affiliation: Casa di Cura Villa San Giuseppe, Ascoli Piceno, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valchera
authors.affiliation: Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Universitè degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Felice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Iasevoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Science of Health, Universitè degli Studi dell'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazza
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Molecular Biomedicine, Universitè degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Signorelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Molecular Biomedicine, Universitè degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aguglia
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Giampaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Perna
authors.affiliation: Casa di Cura Villa San Giuseppe, Ascoli Piceno, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martinotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunohematology and Transfusional Medicine, G. Mazzini Hospital, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Varasano
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunohematology and Transfusional Medicine, G. Mazzini Hospital, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella Lucidi
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Pressanti
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences and Imaging, Chair of Psychiatry, Universitè degli Studi G. d'Annunzio Chieti e Pescara, Chieti Scalo, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Giannantonio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology*; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol