engleski

Platelet 5-HT concentration in PTSD

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with alterations in various neurobiological systems, including serotonergic. The present study included male subjects: 48 war veterans with combat related PTSD, 48 age-matched healthy controls, 48 nonpsychotic depressed patients, 14 war veterans without PTSD, and 25 war veterans with PTSD who were prisoners of war (POWs), and focused on platelet serotonin (5-HT) concentration in PTSD subject and its relationship with different clusters of depressive symptoms. There was a significant difference (F=3.63, df=4, 178 ; p<0.007) in platelet 5-HT concentration between these groups, with higher (p<0.05) platelet 5-HT in PTSD subjects and POWs than in depressed patients. Platelet 5-HT concentrations was significantly different in PTSD subjects with severe loss of appetite (F=3.65 ; df=3, 76 ; p=0.016), weight loss (F=3.45 ; df=3, 76 ; p=0.021), and exposed to additional severe acute stress (F=3.53 ; df=3, 78 ; p=0.019), when compared to control subjects, but did not differ significantly in PTSD subjects divided by the occurrence of other particular symptoms, i.e. pain and depressive syndrome, insomnia, panic attacs, anxiety, aggressiveness, and suicidality, as determined by 21-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. These results show that war veterans and POWs with PTSD have higher platelet 5-HT concentration, and that platelet 5-HT contentration was increased in PTSD subjects with severe symptoms of appetite and weight loss and exposed to additional stress. Our findings suggest that platelet 5-HT might indicate the severity of depressive symptoms that occur in PTSD, or that some of these symptoms are linked to the alterations in 5-HT function.

platelet serotonin; PTSD

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