title: A prospective, longitudinal study of platelet serotonin and plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor concentrations in major depression: effects of vortioxetine treatment.
abstract: Various antidepressants occupy brain serotonin transporter (SERT), decrease platelet serotonin (5-HT) concentration, and normalize reduced plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentrations in depressed patients. Vortioxetine is a recently introduced antidepressant with a multimodal mechanism of action. In addition to SERT inhibition, vortioxetine acts via different 5-HT receptors. To further elucidate its mechanism of action, we have investigated the effects of vortioxetine on platelet 5-HT and plasma BDNF concentrations in patients with major depression.
  
  
  
  Platelet 5-HT and plasma BDNF concentrations were determined in 44 healthy subjects at baseline and in 44 depressed patients before and after 4 weeks of treatment with vortioxetine (5-15 mg daily). Platelet 5-HT concentration was determined using the ortho-phthalaldehyde-enhanced fluorometric method, and plasma BDNF concentration using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Quantikine ELISA, R&D Systems).
  
  
  
  At baseline, platelet 5-HT concentrations did not differ between depressed and control subjects, but plasma BDNF values were lower (p = 0.011; ω = 0.80) in depressed patients than in healthy subjects. Vortioxetine treatment significantly (p < 0.0001; ω = 0.80) decreased platelet 5-HT concentration and significantly (p = 0.004; ω = 0.80) increased plasma BDNF concentration in depressed patients compared to their baseline values. Age, gender, and smoking were not significantly associated with platelet 5-HT and plasma BDNF concentrations.
  
  
  
  Despite a novel mechanism of action, vortioxetine shares some common effects with other antidepressants. This study is the first to show that, in addition to clinical improvement, 4 weeks of treatment with vortioxetine (5-15 mg daily), decreased platelet 5-HT and increased plasma BDNF concentrations in depressed patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sagud
authors.affiliation: Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Division of Molecular Medicine, Bijenicka cesta 54, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Matea
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nikolac Perkovic
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.|Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia.
authors.forename: Bjanka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vuksan-Cusa
authors.affiliation: Clinics for Psychiatry Vrapce, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maravic
authors.affiliation: Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Division of Molecular Medicine, Bijenicka cesta 54, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Dubravka
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Svob Strac
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Alma
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mihaljevic Peles
authors.affiliation: Clinics for Psychiatry Vrapce, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zivkovic
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Zorana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kusevic
authors.affiliation: Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Division of Molecular Medicine, Bijenicka cesta 54, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia. npivac@irb.hr.
authors.forename: Nela
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pivac
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017523:Croatia; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013440:Sulfides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000078784:Vortioxetine
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D010879:Piperazines; D012701:Serotonin; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D013440:Sulfides; D000078784:Vortioxetine; C579455:BDNF protein, human
keywords: Antidepressants; Depression; Plasma BDNF; Platelet serotonin; Vortioxetine