Lack of Association between Serum Serotonin, Eating Patterns, and Depression in Obese Women

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the association between circulating serotonin concentrations, depressive symptoms, and dietary patterns in obese women. Methods: We studied 47 patients using the Beck Depression Scale, the 24-hour food registry, biochemical tests, and serum serotonin levels by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: The mean age of patients was 41.0 ± 10.0 years and their body mass index (BMI) was 36.9 ± 6.2 kg/m2. Depression was present in 34.0% of patients. There were no significant differences in serum serotonin concentrations between patients with or without depression (156.4 ± 63.5 vs. 147.7 ± 71.2 ng/mL; p = 0.357). The percentage of patients with abnormal serum serotonin concentrations and the presence of depression according to the degree of obesity were as follows: Class I 56.5% and 30.4%, Class II 54.5% and 36.5%, Class III 38.5% and 38.5%; p = .5 and p = .9, respectively). There were no significant correlations between serum serotonin concentrations and eating patterns related to calorie intake (r = 0.09, p = 0.5), carbohydrate intake (r = 0.03, p = 0.8), fat intake (r = 0.1, p = 0.2), or protein intake (r = 0.24, p = 0.09). Conclusion: We found that in adult women with obesity, there were no relationships between serum serotonin and nutrient intake, the presence of depression, or obesity severity.