Hyperserotonemia and Platelet Serotonin Uptake and Release in Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders

The authors found that platelet serotonin concentrations were significantly elevated in patients with chronic schizophrenia and in patients with bipolar major depressive disorder. High-affinity serotonin uptake was significantly reduced only in patients with bipolar major depressive disorder. Thrombin-induced release of serotonin from platelets in any patient group was not different from that of normal control subjects. Platelet serotonin storage in chronic schizophrenic patients was also not different from that in normal control subjects. These platelet findings could not be explained by age, sex, or medication variables. The authors suggest that the pharmacodynamics of platelet serotonin may be different in chronic schizophrenia than in bipolar major depressive disorder.