title: Study of the profile of the neurotrophin BDNF in new leprosy cases before, during and after multidrug therapy.
abstract: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin involved in the survival of neurons and growth and differentiation of dendrites and axons. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate plasma levels of BDNF of leprosy patients at different stages of multidrug therapy (MDT) in comparison with non-infected individuals. Plasma levels of BDNF were measured by ELISA in 30 healthy controls and 37 leprosy patients at diagnosis, during and after MDT. Plasma levels of BDNF tended to be higher in control subjects in comparison with leprosy patients, but this difference does not reach statistical significance. Interestingly, BDNF levels changed following MDT, achieving statistical difference only at the 2(nd) dose of MDT. These results indicate that BDNF may not be a surrogate marker of leprosy infection and/or related neuropathy. Further research is needed to investigate the meaning of BDNF level changes following leprosy treatment.
authors.affiliation: Santa Casa de Misericórdia of Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. costa.rosane@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Rosane Dias
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Vanessa Amaral
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Mendonça
authors.forename: Rachel Adriana
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Penido
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lyon
authors.forename: Ana Maria Duarte Dias
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Marina Dias
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Fábio de Souza
authors.initials: Fde S
authors.lastname: Terra
authors.forename: Thales Lage
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Bretas
authors.forename: Carlos Maurício de Figueiredo
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.forename: Antônio Lúcio
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Teixeira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007917:Leprostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007918:Leprosy / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D007917:Leprostatic Agents