Disturbance of serotonin 5HT₂ receptors in remitted patients suffering from hereditary depressive disorder

Summary

Aim: The characteristics of 5HT₂ receptor binding were investigated in major depression in vivo using positron emission tomography and the radioligand F-l 8-altanserin. Methods: Twelve patients from families with high loading of depression living in a geographically restricted region were examined and compared with normal control subjects. At the time of the PET measurement all patients were remitted; in some of them remission was sustained by antidepressive medication. Binding potential was assessed by Logan’s graphical analysis method. Results: The binding of F-l 8-altanserin was about 38% lower in patients than in healthy controls (p <0.00D. A multiple regression analysis revealed that this difference was mainly induced by depression rather than by medication. Conclusions: The data suggest that 5HT₂ receptors are altered in depression. We present evidence for a reduction of the receptor density, which might be usable as trait marker of subjects susceptible for depressive illness.

Zusammenfassung

Ziel: Die vorliegende Studie untersucht die 5HT₂-Rezep-torbindung bei depressiven Patienten in vivo mit der Positronen-Emissionstomographie und dem Radioliganden F-l 8-Altanserin. Methoden: Zwölf Patienten aus Familien mit hoher Inzidenz für Depressionen, die in einer geographisch abgeschlossenen Region leben, wurden untersucht und mit gesunden Kontrollpersonen verglichen. Zum Zeitpunkt der PET-Messung waren alle Patienten klinisch remittiert, was bei einigen den Einsatz von Antidepressiva erforderlich machte. Das Bindungspotenzial wurde mit Logans graphischer Methode bestimmt. Ergebnisse: Die Altanserinbindung war bei den Patienten um ca. 38% niedriger als bei den Kontrollpersonen (p <0,001). Eine multiple Regressionsanalyse zeigte, dass dieser Unterschied in erster Linie durch die Erkrankung und nicht durch Prämedikation hervorgerufen wurde. Schlussfolgerung: Die Studie zeigt, dass die 5HT₂-Rezeptoren an der Depression beteiligt sind. Die Befunde sprechen für eine Verringerung der Rezeptordichte, die möglicherweise ein episodenüberdauerndes Merkmal von Personen darstellt, die für depressive Störungen anfällig sind.

Keywords

Serotonin - 5HT₂ receptors - affective disorder - hereditary depression - F-l 8-altanserin - positron emission tomography

Schlüsselwörter

Serotonin - 5HT₂-Rezeptoren - affektive Psychose - hereditäre Depression - F-l 8-Altanserin - Positronen-Emissionstomographie

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