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

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 Bmax. There were no differences on Kd. Neither Bmax nor Kd was related to most trait or symptomatic measures. Paroxetine binding could reflect endophenotypes common to BPD probands and their first-degree relatives.