Elevated homocysteine, as a biomarker of cardiac injury, in panic disorder patients due to oxidative stress

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Patients with panic disorder (PD) suffer from elevated oxidative stress as a consequence of serotonin metabolism disorder. These patients have elevated serotonin concentration and catabolism of serotonin via monoamine oxidase. The aim of the present study was to evaluate serum homocysteine concentration and its relationship with oxidative stress level in PD patients, regarding homocysteine as a diagnostic biomarker of heart disease. MATERIALS & METHOD: Sixty patients with PD according to the DSM‐5 diagnostic criteria for a panic attack and 60 healthy individuals were included in the present study. Peripheral venous blood samples were taken from patients. Erythrocytes and serum were separated from blood, and RBC hemolysates were prepared to investigate oxidative stress indices including glutathione and glutathione peroxidase. Serum homocysteine and carbonyl groups concentrations were measured in all samples. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, and p < .05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Results showed that serum carbonyl groups concentration was significantly higher in patients with PD than in healthy individuals (p < .001). The results also indicated decreased serum glutathione concentration and glutathione peroxidase activity in patients (p < .003). In addition, elevated homocysteine concentration in PD patients serum was observed during the present study (p < .003). CONCLUSION: Our findings support that patients with PD experience higher levels of oxidative stress, due to impaired serotonin metabolism, which is related to the prognosis of heart disease in these patients.