Platelet serotonin transporter in stroke patients.

Objectives: Post-stroke depression can be treated with serotonin transport inhibitors suggesting a role for the serotonin system in these patients. The number of platelet serotonin transporters in stroke patients and in control subjects have been measured in this study.

Material And Methods: Newly admitted stroke patients who did develop or who did not develop a post-stroke depression, non-acute patients who previously had had a stroke and control subjects were compared. The number of platelet serotonin transporters was analysed by ligand binding methodology.

Results: The number of platelet serotonin transporters was low shortly after a stroke compared with normal subjects; no difference was found between the stroke patients who developed a post-stroke depression and those who did not.

Conclusion: A low number of platelet serotonin transporters may be a non-specific state marker for a condition as acute stroke.