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Harman and norharman plasma levels in weaned alcoholics: correlations with depression and tobacco smoking
Author(s) -
Kiefer F.,
Krödel A.,
Jahn H.,
Wolf K.,
Barocka A.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
addiction biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.445
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1369-1600
pISSN - 1355-6215
DOI - 10.1111/j.1369-1600.2000.tb00213.x
Subject(s) - depression (economics) , incidence (geometry) , mood , correlation , chronic alcoholic , psychology , psychiatry , medicine , clinical psychology , physics , geometry , mathematics , optics , economics , macroeconomics
Based on the hypothesis that β‐carbolines are involved in the pathogenesis of alcohol‐related mood disturbance, harman and norharman levels were assayed in the blood plasma of alcoholics and correlated to the Hamilton Depression (HAM‐D) scores after 3 and 5 weeks post‐admission. Tobacco smoking was co‐evaluated since it is known to influence β‐carboline levels. After a 3‐week period, plasma harman but not norharman was increased in depressed alcoholics and positively related to the HAM‐D sum‐score (r = 0.47; p < 0.04) and to tobacco smoking (r = 0.56; p < 0.02). Since no correlation between depression and smoking was found, these data could account for the higher incidence of depressive symptoms in withdrawn alcoholics with increased harman levels. The partial correlations support this hypothesis.