Russell I J, Michalek J E, Vipraio G A, Fletcher E M, Javors M A, Bowden C A
Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 78284-7874.
J Rheumatol. 1992 Jan;19(1):104-9.
The density of serotonin reuptake receptors on peripheral platelets from 22 patients with primary fibromyalgia syndrome (FS) and the serum serotonin concentrations in 9 patients with FS were compared with those of matched healthy controls. The mean serum serotonin concentration was lower (p = 0.01) in FS than in controls, while the binding of 3H-imipramine was higher (p = 0.035) and normalized with treatment using a combination of ibuprofen and alprazolam. Improvement in selected clinical measures of FS disease activity during treatment correlated with the change in platelet 3H-imipramine binding. These findings support the proposed hypothesis of aberrant pain perception in FS resulting from a deficiency of serotonin.
