Studies on platelet 5-hydroxytryptamine in East Africans

Abstract

1. A study was done on the platelet 5-hydroxytryptamine ( 5 HT) from Africans in areas where endomyocardial fibrosis is common. 2. There were only small differences between the mean platelet or blood 5 HT in Europeans and plantain-eating Africans; the distribution of the results showed a wider scatter in the African community, including values outside the upper limits of normal but not within the range reported for carcinoid. 3. Patients in hospital had lower platelet 5 HT contents regardless of cardiac condition or disease than healthy Africans on similar diets, suggesting no specific abnormality related to platelet 5 HT levels and endomyocardial fibrosis. 4. A small number of radioactive studies suggested that only 1–4 % of oral 5 HT may reach the platelets; a significant increase in platelet 5 HT did occur after a plantain meal; the in-crease after a meal but not after oral 5 HT may be explained by release of endogenous 5 HT from the small intestine under the influence of the high bulk of the diet. Attention is drawn to the high incidence of adult intussusception and volvulus associated with such diets.