TY - JOUR

T1 - The role of central serotonergic markers and estradiol changes in perinatal mental health

AU - Borgsted, Camilla

AU - Høgh, Stinne

AU - Høgsted, Emma Sofie

AU - Fonnesbech-Sandberg, Laura

AU - Ekelund, Kim

AU - Albrechtsen, Charlotte Krebs

AU - Wiis, Julie Therese

AU - Hegaard, Hanne

AU - Cvetanovska, Eleonora

AU - Juul, Anders

AU - Frederiksen, Hanne

AU - Pinborg, Anja

AU - Weikop, Pia

AU - Frokjaer, Vibe

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Objective: Women have an increased risk for mental distress and depressive symptoms in relation to pregnancy and birth. The serotonin transporter (SERT) may be involved in the emergence of depressive symptoms postpartum and during other sex-hormone transitions. It may be associated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of the main serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA). In 100 healthy pregnant women, who were scheduled to deliver by cesarean section (C-section), we evaluated 5-HIAA and estradiol contributions to mental distress 5 weeks postpartum. Methods: Eighty-two women completed the study. CSF collected at C-section was analyzed for 5-HIAA, with high performance liquid chromatography. Serum estradiol concentrations were quantified by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry before C-section and postpartum. Postpartum mental distress was evaluated with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Associations between EPDS, 5-HIAA, and Δestradiol were evaluated in linear regression models adjusted for age, parity and SERT genotype. Results: Higher levels of postpartum mental distress symptoms were negatively associated with a large decrease in estradiol concentrations (βΔE2 = 0.73, p = 0.007) and, on a trend level, positively associated with high antepartum 5-HIAA levels (β5-HIAA = 0.002, p = 0.06). Conclusion: In a cohort of healthy pregnant women, postpartum mental distress was higher in women with high antepartum 5-HIAA (trend) and lower in women with a large perinatal estradiol decrease. We speculate that high antepartum 5-HIAA is a proxy of SERT levels, that carry over to the postpartum period and convey susceptibility to mental distress. In healthy women, the postpartum return to lower estradiol concentrations may promote mental well-being.

AB - Objective: Women have an increased risk for mental distress and depressive symptoms in relation to pregnancy and birth. The serotonin transporter (SERT) may be involved in the emergence of depressive symptoms postpartum and during other sex-hormone transitions. It may be associated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of the main serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA). In 100 healthy pregnant women, who were scheduled to deliver by cesarean section (C-section), we evaluated 5-HIAA and estradiol contributions to mental distress 5 weeks postpartum. Methods: Eighty-two women completed the study. CSF collected at C-section was analyzed for 5-HIAA, with high performance liquid chromatography. Serum estradiol concentrations were quantified by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry before C-section and postpartum. Postpartum mental distress was evaluated with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Associations between EPDS, 5-HIAA, and Δestradiol were evaluated in linear regression models adjusted for age, parity and SERT genotype. Results: Higher levels of postpartum mental distress symptoms were negatively associated with a large decrease in estradiol concentrations (βΔE2 = 0.73, p = 0.007) and, on a trend level, positively associated with high antepartum 5-HIAA levels (β5-HIAA = 0.002, p = 0.06). Conclusion: In a cohort of healthy pregnant women, postpartum mental distress was higher in women with high antepartum 5-HIAA (trend) and lower in women with a large perinatal estradiol decrease. We speculate that high antepartum 5-HIAA is a proxy of SERT levels, that carry over to the postpartum period and convey susceptibility to mental distress. In healthy women, the postpartum return to lower estradiol concentrations may promote mental well-being.

KW - estradiol

KW - mental health

KW - postpartum

KW - pregnancy

KW - serotonin

U2 - 10.1111/acps.13461

DO - 10.1111/acps.13461

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 35729864

AN - SCOPUS:85133490920

VL - 146

SP - 357

EP - 369

JO - Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica

JF - Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica

SN - 0001-690X

IS - 4

ER -