Posted by Bob P (129.65.105.18) on February 20, 2000 at 13:27:49:
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Cephalalgia 1998 Mar;18(2):94-6
Serotonin metabolism in cluster headache.
D'Andrea G, Granella F, Alecci M, Manzoni GC
Department of Neurology, Este Hospital, Italy.
Despite some evidence of the involvement of the serotonergic system in
cluster headache (CH) pathophysiology, the serotonin (5HT) metabolism has
so far been poorly studied. The aim of this study was to investigate plasma
and platelet levels of 5HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA) in CH
patients in the active period of the disease. Nineteen CH sufferers and 17
sex- and age-matched healthy controls were studied. CH patients showed
significantly higher plasma levels of 5HT and 5HIAA compared to controls
(5HT: 5.7+/-6.1 ng/ml vs 0.2+/-0.2 ng/ml; p=0.02; 5HIAA: 34.7+/-46.1 ng/ml
vs 0.6+/-0.7 ng/ml; p=0.004). In platelet 5HT levels were slightly reduced
in CH patients in comparison with those of control subjects (662.4+/-522.3
ng/10(-8) platelets vs 832.4+/-587.9 ng/10(-8) platelets; n.s.) and 5HIAA
levels resulted significantly lower in CH sufferers than in control
subjects (3.2+/-2.6 ng/10(-8) platelets vs 6.7+/-4.8 ng/10(-8) platelets;
p=0.04). Our data suggest that CH is characterized by an increase of plasma
serotonergic metabolism that could reflect an involvement of the central
serotonergic system in the pathogenesis of CH.
PMID: 9533605, UI: 98192289