Prophylactic lithium response and polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene.
BACKGROUND
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been involved in the pathogenesis of bipolar mood disorder and in the mechanism of mood-normalizing action of lithium. The aim of this study was to find a possible association between lithium prophylactic effect in bipolar patients and two polymorphisms of BDNF gene.


METHODS
Eighty-eight patients (35 males, 53 females) with bipolar illness were studied. Duration of lithium prophylaxis ranged between 5-27 years (mean 15 years). Three categories of prophylactic lithium response were delineated: excellent responders (ER), partial responders (PR) and non-responders (NR). All patients were genotyped for two polymorphisms of BDNF gene: Val66Met and -270C/T.


RESULTS
The Val/Met genotype of Val66Met polymorphism occurred more frequently (p = 0.037) and there was a trend for a higher incidence of Met allele (p = 0.076), in ER than in NR. A trend for C/T genotype and T allele of -270C/T polymorphism was observed to occur more frequently in ER than in NR (p = 0.057 and p = 0.065, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
The data obtained suggest that polymorphism of BDNF gene may be connected with a quality of lithium prophylaxis.
Rybakowski
J K
JK
Department of Adult Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland. rybakows@wlkp.top.pl
Suwalska
A
A
Skibinska
M
M
Szczepankiewicz
A
A
Leszczynska-Rodziewicz
A
A
Permoda
A
A
Czerski
P M
PM
Hauser
J
J
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000235:genetics* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D008094:Lithium