engleski

Are there differences in platelet serotonin and serum cholesterol concentrations in suicidal and non-suicidal male patients with first episode of psychosis?

Suicidal behavior is a major risk in schizophrenia, and it is estimated that up to 10% patients will commit suicide. The rate of suicide is more than 20 times higher than that in the general population. It has been reported that up to 40% of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia will have at least one suicide attempt in the course of their illness. The neurobiology of suicide is still unclear. Various studies have attempted to identify the possible peripheral markers that might help in the early detection of suicidal behavior. In addition, evidence is accumulating that a hereditary disposition to suicide exists, that appears to be independent of a diagnosis. While there are a lot of data regarding the biology of suicidality in schizophrenia, the data considering biology of suicidality in the first episode of psychosis are missing. The neurobiology of suicide is still unclear. Suicidality has been related to a decreased central serotonergic (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) function and reduced cholesterol levels. Platelet 5-HT was used as a peripheral marker of the central serotonergic synaptosomes. The hypothesis was that suicidal patients in the first episode of psychosis will have different serum cholesterol and platelet 5-HT concentrations than non-suicidal patients in the first episode of psychosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum cholesterol and platelet 5-HT concentrations in suicidal and non-suicidal men in the first episode of psychosis and in healthy male controls. Venous blood samples were collected within 24 hours of admission, and serum cholesterol and platelet 5-HT were determined enzymatically and fluorimetrically. Platelet 5-HT and serum cholesterol concentrations were significantly lower in suicidal than in non-suicidal patients in the first episode of psychosis than in healthy controls. Our results suggest that lower concentrations of serum cholesterol and platelet 5-HT in patients with the first episode of psychosis might be useful biological markers of suicidality.

platelet serotonin; serum cholesterol; suicidal and non-suicidal male patients; first episode of psychosis

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