Platelet [ 3H] paroxetine binding in female patients with borderline personality disorder and their sisters

Abstract

Paroxetine binding could be a vulnerability marker for traits associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD). To study this relationship, we examined [ 3H] paroxetine binding in female patients with BPD and their sisters. The sample consisted of 54 sibling pairs in which a proband met criteria for BPD. All subjects were given the Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines, revised (DIB-R), the Diagnostic Assessment for Personality Pathology: Brief Questionnaire (DAPP-BQ), the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS), the Affective Lability Scale (ALS), the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A), the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), and the Symptom Checklist-90, revised (SCL-90-R). All subjects had platelets assayed for [ 3H] paroxetine binding. There were no significant differences between probands and sisters, but both groups scored significantly lower than a previously studied control group on B max. There were no differences on Kd. Neither B max nor K d was related to most trait or symptomatic measures. Paroxetine binding could reflect endophenotypes common to BPD probands and their first-degree relatives.