Peculiarities of blood platelets serotonin system in patients with different clinical manifestations of schizoaffective psychosis

45 women with different manifestations of schizoaffective psychosis (SAP) w ere examined. The diagnosis corresponded to ICD-10 (F25). According to the classification elaborated in Mental Health Research Centre of Russian Acade my of Medical Sciences, groups of patients were identified with different v ariants of the psychoses course: a nuclear SAP type; a borderline SAP varia tion with phasic-recurrent course; SAP with progredient variation ( schizoa ffective variation of schizophrenia). The patients were examined both durin g the attack and remission, a rate of serotonine uptake (V-max) in blood pl atelets, a specific imipramine binding (B-max) and the level of serotonin i n blood platelets were evaluated. It was found that dynamics of both V-max and the level of serotonin in different SAP types were different, that was related to clinical and biological SAP heterogeneity. A tendency to decreas ing of serotonin system functional activity was found in progredient SAP va riations, especially during the remission, which was of low quality in thes e cases. On the contrary, in the borderline variations the indices of the d ecreased function of serotonin system corresponded well to those of acute p sychosis. In nuclear type - a type with the most favourable course of psych osis - any significant changes weren't revealed as compared with the normal parameters.