Platelet/Endothelial Biomarkers in Depressed Patients Treated With the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Sertraline After Acute Coronary Events

Background— Depression after acute coronary syndromes (ACSs) has been identified as an independent risk factor for subsequent cardiac death. Enhanced platelet activation has been hypothesized to represent 1 of the mechanisms underlying this association. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are known to inhibit platelet activity. Whether treatment of depressed post-ACS patients with SSRIs alters platelet function was not known. Accordingly, we serially assessed the release of established platelet/endothelial biomarkers in patients treated with sertraline vs placebo in the Sertraline AntiDepressant Heart Attack Randomized Trial (SADHART). Methods and Results— Plasma samples (baseline, week 6, and week 16) were collected from patients randomized to sertraline (n=28) or placebo (n=36). Anticoagulants, aspirin, and ADP-receptor inhibitors were permitted in this study. Platelet factor 4, β-thromboglobulin (βTG), platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1, P-selectin, thromboxane B 2 , 6-ketoprostaglandin F 1a , vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and E-selectin were measured by ELISA. Treatment with sertraline was associated with substantially less release of platelet/endothelial biomarkers than was treatment with placebo. These differences attained statistical significance for βTG ( P =0.03) at weeks 6 and 16 and for P-selectin ( P =0.04) at week 16. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant advantage for sertraline vs placebo for diminishing E-selectin and βTG concentrations across the entire treatment period. Conclusions— Treatment with sertraline in depressed post-ACS patients is associated with reductions in platelet/endothelial activation despite coadministration of widespread antiplatelet regimens including aspirin and clopidogrel. The antiplatelet and endothelium-protective properties of SSRIs might represent an attractive additional advantage in patients with depression and comorbid coronary artery and/or cerebrovascular disease.