Cortisol, Platelet Serotonin Content, and Platelet Activity in Patients With Major Depression and Type 2 Diabetes: An Exploratory Investigation. Issue 2 (February 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zahn, Daniela; Petrak, Frank; Franke, Leonora; Hägele, Anna-Karolina; Juckel, Georg; Lederbogen, Florian; Neubauer, Horst; Norra, Christine; Uhl, Idun; Herpertz, Stephan
• Is Part Of: Psychosomatic medicine. Volume 77:Issue 2(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-02
• Subjects: major depression -- Type 2 diabetes -- platelet serotonin content -- cortisol -- platelet activity -- CD40 -- 5-HT = 5-hydroxy-tryptamine (serotonin) -- BMI = body mass index -- CAD = coronary artery disease -- CAR = cortisol awakening response -- CD40L = CD40 ligand -- HbA1c = glycated hemoglobin -- HPA axis = hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis -- MD = major depression -- PF-4 = platelet factor-4 -- sCD40L = soluble CD40 ligand -- Slope = diurnal decrease in cortisol levels -- T2DM = Type 2 diabetes mellitus -- β-TG = β-thromboglobulin; Medicine, Psychosomatic -- Periodicals; 616.0805
• DOI: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000145
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0033-3174

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Objective: Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system dysfunction, serotonergic system alterations, and enhanced platelet activity may contribute to the increased cardiac risk in depression. This exploratory study examined associations between cortisol parameters, platelet serotonin (5-HT) content, and platelet activity markers in patients with newly diagnosed major depression (MD) and/or Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) compared with healthy controls. Methods: We compared cortisol awakening response (CAR), diurnal decrease in salivary cortisol concentrations (slope), platelet 5-HT, and platelet markers (CD40, CD40 ligand [CD40L], soluble CD40L, CD62P, β-thromboglobulin, and platelet factor-4) in 22 T2DM patients, 20 MD patients, 18 T2DM patients with MD, and 24 healthy controls. Results: Platelet markers were elevated in MD ( F (6, 60) = 11.14, p < .001) and T2DM ( F (6, 60) = 13.07, p < .001). Subgroups did not differ in 5-HT or cortisol slope, whereas T2DM patients without depression had significantly lower CAR than did healthy controls ( F (1, 61) = 7.46, p = .008). In healthy controls, cortisol slope correlated with platelet activity for CD40 ( r = −0.43, p = .048) and 5-HT was correlated with CD40L ( r = 0.53, p = .007). In patients with both T2DM and MD, 5-HT and CD62P were correlated ( r = 0.52, p = .033). Conclusions: Increased platelet activity in T2DM and MD may play a role in the association between diabetes, depression, and coronary artery disease. The present data suggest that group differences in cortisol or 5-HT as well as group-specific associations of cortisol or 5-HT with platelet markers might be of limited importance in the shared pathways of T2DM and depression in the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease.