Platelet activating factors are associated with depressive symptoms in coronary artery disease patients: a hypothesis-generating study

INTRODUCTION: Depression is a frequent complication of coronary artery disease (CAD) with an unknown etiology. Platelet activating factor (PAF) lipids, which are associated with CAD, have recently been linked with novel proposed etiopathological mechanisms for depression such as inflammation, oxidative/nitrosative stress, and vascular endothelial dysfunction. METHODS AND RESULTS: This hypothesis-generating study investigated the relationships between various PAF species and depressive symptoms in 26 CAD patients (age: 60.6±9.2 years, 69% male, mean Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HAM-D] score: 11.8±5.2, HAM-D range: 3–20). Plasma PAF analyses were performed using high performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in precursor ion scan. Significant associations between depressive symptom severity (HAM-D score) and a greater plasma abundance of the PAFs phosphocholine (PC) PC(O-12:0/2:0) (r=0.49, P=0.01), PC(O-14:1/2:0) (r=0.43, P=0.03), PC(O-17:3/2:0) (r=0.44, P=0.04), and PC(O-18:3/2:0) (r=0.50, P=0.01) were observed. Associations between those PAFs and HAM-D score persisted after adjusting for age and sex. CONCLUSION: These preliminary findings support the exploration of the PAF lipidome for depressive symptom biomarkers in CAD patients. Patients were recruited as part of the following clinical trial: NCT00981383.