thromboxane-b2 and Bipolar-Disorder

Part I of this series defined biomarkers and discussed their current use in general medicine and their potential research and clinical utility in psychiatry. In this second column in the series, the authors first discuss the rationale for selecting a biomarker. The second half of the column discusses the potential use of inflammatory biomarkers in depression, with a specific focus on derivatives of the inflammatory biomarker, thromboxane, to illustrate how biomarkers can be developed for use in clinical practice. In the future, biomarkers are likely to become an integral component of psychiatric treatment, providing information about a patient's odds of developing an illness, the severity of illness, and level of response to therapeutic interventions.

Topics: Biomarkers; Bipolar Disorder; Depressive Disorder; Humans; Inflammation; Mental Disorders; Sensitivity and Specificity; Thromboxane B2

Plasma prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) levels were measured in 30 depressed outpatients. Plasma PGE2 was increased in all but one of these patients (p less than 0.001) and all had increased levels of TXB2 (p less than 0.001). Since monamine oxidase inhibitors inhibit brain prostaglandin synthesis, and tricyclic antidepressants may antagonize prostaglandin actions, these observations suggest new approaches to depression research.

Topics: Affect; Antidepressive Agents; Bipolar Disorder; Blood Platelets; Depression; Depressive Disorder; Dinoprostone; Female; Humans; Male; Prostaglandins; Prostaglandins E; Thromboxane B2; Thromboxanes