Serum BDNF Changes And The Relative Factors In Bipolar Depressive Patients

Objective：To explore the correlations between serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophicfactor (BDNF) and pathophysiology of bipolar depressive disorder and therapeuticeffect in bipolar depressive patients before and after treatment．Methods：The serum BDNF levels in bipolar depressive patients (n=30) before and after4week treatment and normal control subjects (n=30) were assayed with the ELISAmethod. And the bipolar depressive patients were assessed the Hamilton DepressionScale (HAMD) and Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) in before and after1,2and4week treatment．Results：The serum BDNF levels in bipolar depressive patients at baseline [(18.86±6.13)ng/ml] were significantly lower than that in controls[(24.87±6.08) ng/ml](t=3.941, P=0.000), meanwhile were significantly negatively correlated with scores ofthe HAMD scores (r=-0.413,P=0.023) and scores of the CGI scores (r=-0.404,P=0.027),but were not correlated with age, age of onset, length of illness and numberof onset. The serum BDNF levels in bipolar depressive patients after4weektreatment [(22.56±6.56)ng/ml] were higher than that before treatment (t=3.941,P=0.000), and no longer differed from that in controls (P>0.05), meanwhile weresignificantly negatively correlated with scores of the HAMD scores (r=-0.619,P=0.000) and scores of the CGI scores(r=-0.589,P=0.001). Furthermore,the increaseof serum BDNF was positively correlated with the efficiency of treatment (r=0.372,P=0.043).Conclusions：Low serum BDNF levels in bipolar depressive patients are possibly correlatedwith pathophysiology of bipolar depressive disorder and even a state marker．Increase of serum BDNF levels in bipolar depressive patients may be a pivotal marker oftherapeutic effect．...