title: Effect of treatment on serum glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor in bipolar patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Post-mortem studies have demonstrated various glial deficits in different brain areas of patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BD). Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is a neurotrophic factor from the transforming growth factor beta family which has been implicated in the pathophysiology of BD. This study aimed to determine whether GDNF in serum was abnormal in BD, and how it responded to drug treatment of BD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum GDNF concentrations were measured in BD patients before treatment, after 8 weeks of drug treatment, and in control subjects using a sandwich ELISA method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before treatment, serum GDNF was significantly lower in BD patients during both manic (P<0.001) and depressive (P<0.001) episodes than in control subjects. From baseline to remission after 8 weeks of treatment, the increase in serum GDNF was statistically significant (P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study suggests that lower GDNF levels might be involved in the pathophysiology of BD and drug treatment increases the GDNF in BD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated WuTaiShan Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225003, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaobin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhijun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Weiwei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sha
authors.forename: Chunming
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Guangjun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.forename: Honghui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yumei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor