171. Serum cholesterol and impulsive aggressive behavior in personality disorder patients

Background:Decreased serum cholesterolhas beerr associated with impulsive and aggressive behaviors. Abnormal central serotonergic activity,as reflectedby decreasedprolactirrresponsesto fenfluramine, has been correlatedto impulsivityand aggressionin personalitydisordered patients. This study was designedto explore the relationship betweenserumcholesterollevels,serotonergicindicesand measuresof impulsivityand aggressionin personalitydisorderedpatienta.Method: Forty-twopersonalitydisorderedpatients(DSMIHR-20femalesand 22 males,age 37.1+ 8.5),including14patientswithBPD(age:34.2t 6.6; 10female,4 male),and28patientswithotherpersonalitydisorders(age: 38.5t9.l; 10female,18male)wereexaminedforevidenceof irritability and aggressionby self reportas measuredby the Buss-DurkeeHostility Inventory(BDHI),and for evidenceof impulsivityby self report as measuredby the BarratI ImpulsivityScale (BIS).Centralaerotonergic activitywas measuredby the prolactinresponseto fenfluratninechallenge.Fastingserumcholesterolwas measuredby standardenzymatic assay as part of the initial medicalscreening.All patients’thyroidand liverfunctiontests werealso measuredduringinitialmedicrdsermting, and were determinedto be withinnormallimits.Results:An ANOVA wasperformedwithfactorsof genderartddiagnosis,lookingat twoway interactionsbetweenthe factors and serum cholesterol.A significant relationshipwas foundbetweenborderlinediagnosisandreducedsemm cholesterol,(BPDchol=166.8t32.2, non-BPD=192.6*33.6,F= 1.09, p<.05). A significantinteractioneffect was also seen betswxrrgender and diagnosiswith the male patients having lower cholesterollevels (male BPD=154.7 t38.1, non-BPD=203.6t34.3, F=4.33, p<.05). There were no significantrelationshipsbetweenserumcholesteroland scoreson the BIS or the BDHI.There was a trend inversecorrelation between serum cholesterol and prolactin response to fenfluramine (n=18, r.41, p< O.1).Conclusions:This studysuggeststhere may be a relationshipbetweencholesterolandreducedserotonergicactivity.