Table 3.
Platelet serotonin content and MAO activity and platelet activation markers in PTSD in cross sectional investigations
| Study | Participants | Assessment inventory | Comorbidities | Medication allowed | Platelet outcome parameters | Results |
| Vidović et al[116] 2011 | Platelet reactivity in PTSD | Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview | Benzodiazepins | Platelet reactivity to agonists (EPI, ADP, combination) | PTSD patients ↑P-sel exp (P = 0.003), ↑% P-sel exp (P = 0.006), ↑% Plt-ne agg (P < 0.001) vs healthy controls | |
| 15 PTSD veterans vs 12 healthy controls | Atypical antipsychotics | |||||
| CAPS | No antidepressants | P-sel exp | ||||
| HAMD | No NSAIDs | % of P-sel | ||||
| HAMA | No anti-hypertensives | % of PLA | ||||
| No statins | % of P-mo agg | |||||
| % of P-ne agg | ||||||
| % of P-ly agg | ||||||
| FACS | ||||||
| Kovacic et al[112] 2008 | Platelets as a marker of suicidality in PTSD patients | SCID | Non-PTSD group: depression, psychosis, acute stress disorder, personality Disorder | Drug free veterans | 5-HT content | ↓5-HT (P < 0.029) suicidal PTSD vs non-suicidal PTSD, ↓5-HT (P < 0.01) suicidal PTSD vs healthy |
| CAPS | Drug free non-PTSD patient group (drug-naïve or wash-out period of 2 wk or no SSRI for 6 wk) | Spectrofluorometric assessment | ||||
| 73 suicidal and 47 non-suicidal PTSD patients vs 45 suicidal and 30 non suicidal non-PTSD patients. 147 healthy men | HDRS | |||||
| HAMA | ||||||
| PANSS | ||||||
| Pivac et al[108] 2007 | MAO-B activity and MAO intron 13 polymorphism in PTSD | SCID | PTSD patients wit h comorbid depression | Drug-free | MAO-B activity | Non-Smokers: psychotic PTSD vs veterans (P = 0.001), vs healthy (P = 0.006) ↑MAO-B activity; non-psychotic PTSD vs veterans (P = 0.046) ↑MAO-B activity |
| CAPS | Spectrofluorimetric assay | |||||
| 28 PTSD patients with psychotic features vs 78 PTSD without psychotic features vs 41 veterans without PTSD vs 242 male healthy control | PANSS | Alcoholism | Intron 13 polymorphism | |||
| HAMD | Anxiety disorders | Taqman PCR | ||||
| Panick disorder | Smokers: psychotic PTSD vs veterans (P = 0.002), vs healthy (P = 0.001) ↑MAO-B activity | |||||
| Vidović et al[117] 2007 | Platelet activation markers in PTSD | CAPS | Hypertension | No psychopharmacotherapy | % PLA | Platelet outcome parameters: ns changes |
| 20 PTSD war veterans vs 20 age comparable healthy civilians | Clinical Global Impressions Scale | Hyperlipidaemia | % Plt-mo agg | |||
| Diabetes | % Plt-ne agg | |||||
| % Plt-ly agg | ||||||
| FACS | ||||||
| sP-sel | ||||||
| ELISA | ||||||
| Pivac et al[113] 2006 | Platelet serotonin in PTSD patients with psychotic features | CAPS | Drug-free | 5-HT contents | ↑5-HT psychotic PTSD vs PTSD (P = 0.019), vs veterans (P = 0.040), vs controls (P = 0.029) | |
| PANSS | Spectrofluorimetric assay | |||||
| 67 veterans with PTSD vs 36 veterans without PTSD vs 35 veterans with psychotic PTSD | HAMD | |||||
| Mück-Seler et al[114] 2003 | Platelet serotonin in PTSD with comorbid depression | CAPS | Headaches | Drug-free for 2 wk | 5-HT content | 5-HT contents PTSD vs non PTSD vs healthy controls (P = 0.11)NS changes; ↑5-HT depressed veterans with severe appetite loss (P < 0.05) vs depressed PTSD without appetite loss vs controls |
| HAS | Back-pain | Spectrofluorimetric assay | ||||
| 48 PTSD veterans (31 depressed vs 16 non-depressed) vs 17 non PTSD war veterans (4 depressed vs 13 non-depressed) | DTS | Gastro-intestinal symptoms | ||||
| MADRS | ||||||
| Pivac et al[115] 2002 | Platelet 5-HT and MAO activity in PTSD | MADRS | No alcohol or drug abuse 1 mo prior | Drug-free | 5-HT content | 5-HT (P = 0.31)NS; MAO activity (P = 0.12)NS; No correlation to rating scales |
| 31 war veterans with PTSD vs 22 war veterans without PTSD vs 22 prisoners of war with PTSD | CAPS | MAO-activity | ||||
| Spectrofluorimetric method | ||||||
| Cicin-Sain et al[118] 2000 | 5-HT level, kinetics of serotonin transporter, MAO activity | Watsons PTSD questionnaire | PTSD patients comorbid depression, alcohol dependence, personality disorder, psychosis | Benzodiazepines, neuroleptics, TCAs, SSRIs, atypical anti-depressants | 5-HT content | 5-HTNS; Serotonin transporter kineticsNS, ↓MAO-B velocity (P < 0.05) in patients vs healthy controls |
| 5-HT uptake | ||||||
| 63 PTSD patients vs 43 healthy controls | MAO-B activity | |||||
| Spectrofluorimetric | ||||||
| Radioisotypic method |
PTSD: Posttraumatic stress disorder; 5-HT: Serotonin; MAO: Monoamine oxidase; EPI: Epinephrine; ADP: Adenosine-di-phosphat; SCID: Structured clinical interview; CAPS: Clinician Administred PTSD Scale; HDRS: Hamiton Depression Rating Scale; HAMA: Hamilton anxiety rating scale; PANSS: Positive and negative syndrom scale; MADRS: Montgomery asperg depression scale; HAMD: Hamilton rating scale for depression; HAS: Hamilton anxiety scale; DTS: Davidson trauma scale; %: Percentage of; PLA: Platelet-leukocyte aggregates; Plt-mo agg: Platelet-Monocyte aggregates; Plt-ne agg: Platelet-neutrophil aggregates; P-ly agg: Platelet-lymphocyte aggregates; P-sel: P-selectin; sPsel: Soluble P-selectin; exp: Expression; TCA: Tricyclic antidepressants; SSRI: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor; NSAID: Non steroidal anti inflammatory durg; FACS: Fluorescence-activated cell sorting; NS: Not significant.