Clinical Study of Serum Serotonin as a Screening Marker for Anxiety and Depression in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Over time, studies have shown the importance of determining serotonin levels to diagnose somatic and psychiatric disorders. There are theoretical premises and practical ways to achieve a subtle correlation between the existence of comorbid psychiatric disorders and somatic diseases caused by the changes observed in serotonin levels. The present study, classified as retrospective and quantitative, provides evidence for determining the serotonin levels in patients with diabetes and anxiety or depression. A total of 48 patients with diabetes type 2 were enrolled in the study. Blood glucose level, glycated haemoglobin, and serum serotonin were noted, and they completed Hamilton A and Beck Depression Inventory questionnaires. We found robust correlations between serum serotonin and blood glucose (Sig. = 0.008), serum serotonin and HbA1c (Sig. = 0.007), serum serotonin and anxiety (Sig. = 0.000), and serum serotonin and depression (Sig. = 0.000). It is also noteworthy that women recorded extreme values higher than men for glycated haemoglobin (95% confidence interval: 6.92–7.79 in women and 6.30–7.23 in men). In conclusion, using serotonin as a marker of the mentioned diseases in clinical practice is of significant utility, considering the benefits in terms of the evolution and prognosis of comorbidities in patients with type 2 diabetes and anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Characterization of serotonin as a candidate biomarker of severity and prognosis of COVID-19 using LC/MS analysis

“…In particular, studies have demonstrated an association between COVID-19 and depression. 33 , 34 , 35 It has also been reported that the serum serotonin levels inversely correlated with the degree of anxiety and depression 36 ; thus, decreased serotonin levels with disease progression may be one of the causes of depressive syndrome of COVID-19, although the cause and effect remain unclear. On the contrary, the role of serotonin in the gastrointestinal symptoms has also been proposed.…”

Effects of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) on serotonin in serum, depressive symptoms and subjective sleep quality in middle-aged males

“…On the other hand, the aetiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) in recent decades has been referred to the pathophysiology of the serotonin system [24]. It has been reported that patients with MDD show lower level of serotonin in serum [17][18][19][20][21][22]. Serotonin concentration was significantly lower in the patients with severe atopic dermatitis, and there was an adverse relation between the serotonin concentration and the score of depression, the features not noticed in the control group [20,22].…”

“…It has been reported that patients with MDD show lower level of serotonin in serum [17][18][19][20][21][22]. Serotonin concentration was significantly lower in the patients with severe atopic dermatitis, and there was an adverse relation between the serotonin concentration and the score of depression, the features not noticed in the control group [20,22]. However, there is no study on the effects of forest bathing on serotonin in serum in humans so far.…”

“…Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine (2022) 27:44 rum [17][18][19][20][21][22], sleep disorders and depressive symptoms [24,25] and forest bathing could increase serotonin in serum and improve depressive symptoms and subjective sleep quality, it suggests that forest bathing may have potential preventive effect on MDD. However, this effect needs to confirm in healthy female subjects and in the patients with MDD in the future studies.…”

“…On the other hand, it has been reported that patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) show lower level of serotonin in serum [17][18][19][20][21]. Moroianu et al [22] also reported that there are statistically significant inverse correlations between the levels of serotonin in serum and the values calculated for degree of depression depending on the Beck Depression Inventory and degree of anxiety depending on the Hamilton A questionnaire scale, respectively, in patients with Type 2 diabetes who show anxiety and depression. However, there is no study on the effects of forest bathing on serotonin in serum in humans.…”