title: Correlation of BDNF blood levels with interoceptive awareness and maturity fears in anorexia and bulimia nervosa patients.
abstract: Association studies and rodent models suggest a major role for BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) in feeding regulation. Altered BDNF blood levels have been associated with eating disorders (ED) and their related psychopathological traits. Since the influence of BDNF on self-reported eating disorder inventory scores (EDI) has not been tested, we investigated the correlation of EDI scales with BDNF plasma levels. BDNF levels were measured by (ELISA), and the EDI questionnaire was administered in a total of 81 ED patients. The relationship between BDNF levels and EDI scores was calculated using a general linear model. After correcting for multiple testing, BDNF plasma levels negatively correlated with the EDI total score (R (2) = 0.26; p = 4.09 x 10(-4)), interoceptive awareness (R (2) = 0.26; p = 1.96 x 10(-4)), and maturity fears (R (2) = 0.13; p = 6.92 x 10(-4)). When subdividing according to the main diagnoses, interoceptive awareness presented significant correlations with BDNF blood levels in both the anorexia nervosa (R (2) = 0.33, p = 0.0026) and bulimia nervosa groups (R (2) = 0.10; p = 0.008). Our data suggest that BDNF levels may influence the severity of the ED by modulating the associated psychopathology, in particular through the impairment of interoceptive awareness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Ciber Fisiopatologia Obesidad y Nutricion, University Hospital of Bellvitge, Hospitalet del Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mercader
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fernández-Aranda
authors.forename: Mònica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gratacòs
authors.forename: Zaida
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Aguera
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Forcano
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ribasés
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Villarejo
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Estivill
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor