Platelet serotonin aggregation in depression

Abstract

AbstractSerotonin aggregation is a measure of function of platelet 5-HT2 receptors. The test has been proposed as a valid peripheral model of central 5-HT2 receptor function. Receptors of this subtype are implicated in theories of the aetiology of depressive states.This pilot study proposes a normal range for the test for both males and females. Untreated depressed subjects had results which grouped at the lower end of the range. The test proved reproducible with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.939 with an interval of at least six weeks between sampling. A small number of successfully treated patients were retested with no empirical difference in their results, which are included in the reproducibility studies.Our provisional results indicate the reliability of serotonin aggregation scores for an individual. The difference in scores noted in depressed subjects is more likely to be a trait rather than a state marker.