engleski

The season of birth and peripheral biochemical markers in psychiatric patients in Croatia

Background: It has been suggested that the season of birth may be a risk factor for the development of mental disorders, that could be related to different latitudes. Aim: We investigated the relationship between seasonality and peripheral biochemical markers: platelet serotonin (5-HT) and plasma cortisol levels in patients and control subjects in Croatia (latitude 45°10' north of the equator). Methods: The study included schizophrenic, depressed (unipolar, bipolar) patients and patients with Alzheimer's disease, recruited during a five-year period. The seasons were: winter (December, January, February), spring (March, April, May), summer (June, July, August) and autumn (September, October, November). The controls were healthy men and women with no personal or family history of psychopathology. Results: Similar occurrence of mental disorders was observed in male and female subjects independent of their season of birth. There was no relationship between the season of birth and biochemical parameters in healthy persons. Platelet 5-HT concentration was increased in winter born male and female schizophrenics and in winter and spring born male and female depressed patients when compared to the values in patients born in other seasons. There was a difference in cortisol levels between male and female depressed patients born in autumn. Conclusions: Our results add further support to the influence of the season of birth on the serotonergic system and HPA axis activity, that may be limited to Croatia's latitude. The data suggest a possible influence of the length of photoperiod during the perinatal period on the development and function of serotonergic neurons.

season of birth; mental disorders; peripheral biochemical markers; Croatia

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