title: Reduced serum nerve growth factor in patients with late-life depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nerve growth factor (NGF) is one of the most abundant neurotrophic factors in the central nervous system and has been involved in several neuropsychiatric disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 77 age- and gender-matched elderly subjects (38 with late-life depression, 17 with previous major depressive episode, and 22 healthy subjects in the comparison group). Serum concentration of NGF was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NGF levels were significantly reduced in the depressed patients (p = 0.002) as compared with healthy elderly controls. Elderly control subjects with previous depressive episode also showed a significant reduction in NGF levels as compared with controls (p <0.01); NGF levels were similar between patients with current depressive episode and previous depressive episode (p = 0.2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present findings provide additional evidence to the relevance of reduced neurotrophic support in the pathophysiology of late-life depression. Also, reduced serum NGF level may be a state marker of depression in elderly subjects.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Department of Mental Health, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. brenosatler@gmail.com
authors.forename: Breno S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Diniz
authors.forename: Antonio L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Machado-Vieira
authors.forename: Leda L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Talib
authors.forename: Wagner F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Gattaz
authors.forename: Orestes V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Forlenza
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D012074:Remission Induction
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor