title: Evidence for a relationship between genetic variants at the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) locus and major depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous genetic studies investigating a possible involvement of variations at the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene locus in major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar affective disorder (BPAD), and schizophrenia have provided inconsistent results.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed single-marker and haplotype analyses using three BDNF polymorphisms in 2,376 individuals (465 MDD, 281 BPAD, 533 schizophrenia, and 1,097 control subjects).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Single-marker analysis did not provide strong evidence for association. Haplotype analysis of marker combination rs988748-(GT)n-rs6265 produced nominally significant associations for all investigated phenotypes (global p values: MDD p = .00006, BPAD p = .0057, schizophrenia p = .016). Association with MDD was the most robust finding and could be replicated in a second German sample of MDD patients and control subjects (p = .0092, uncorrected). Stratification of our schizophrenia sample according to the presence or absence of a lifetime history of depressive symptoms showed that our finding in schizophrenia might be attributable mainly to the presence of depressive symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Association studies of genetic variants of the BDNF gene with various psychiatric disorders have been published with reports of associations and nonreplications. Our findings suggest that BDNF may be a susceptibility gene for MDD and schizophrenia-in particular, in a subgroup of patients with schizophrenia with a lifetime history of depressive symptoms.
authors: Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn.
authors: Johannes
authors: J
authors: Schumacher
authors: Rami Abou
authors: RA
authors: Jamra
authors: Tim
authors: T
authors: Becker
authors: Stephanie
authors: S
authors: Ohlraun
authors: Norman
authors: N
authors: Klopp
authors: Elisabeth B
authors: EB
authors: Binder
authors: Thomas G
authors: TG
authors: Schulze
authors: Monika
authors: M
authors: Deschner
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Schmäl
authors: Susanne
authors: S
authors: Höfels
authors: Astrid
authors: A
authors: Zobel
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Illig
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Propping
authors: Florian
authors: F
authors: Holsboer
authors: Marcella
authors: M
authors: Rietschel
authors: Markus M
authors: MM
authors: Nöthen
authors: Sven
authors: S
authors: Cichon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000235:genetics; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000235:genetics*; D018900:Dinucleotide Repeats; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor