title: Blood levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor in women with bipolar disorder and healthy control women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein has been implicated in the pathophysiology of mood disorders, with early data suggesting that blood levels may vary by severity of mood symptoms. BDNF polymorphism, val66met, has also been implicated in mood disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Euthymic women with bipolar disorder (BD) (n=47) and healthy control women (n=26), ages 18-45, were clinically rated using the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and sampled for plasma BDNF concentration, with a subset undergoing genetic analysis for the val66met.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BD and control groups did not differ on any demographic variables, nor in plasma BDNF levels or val66met polymorphism. Plasma BDNF concentration did not differ by val66met or BD subtype, nor was it correlated with age or illness duration. Within women with BD, lower plasma BDNF concentrations were significantly associated with higher MADRS scores, even after controlling for psychotropic medication use and illness duration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The sample was relatively small and exclusive to women, with further research needed to investigate the links between BDNF markers and mood symptom severity in both men and women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study provides a gender-specific investigation of plasma BDNF levels and mood, and the results add further evidence of a significant interplay between BDNF markers and psychiatric symptomatology. Further, this association did not appear to be confounded by use of psychotropic medication. Studies with larger samples of both genders are needed to further delineate this relationship.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd MC 5723, Stanford, CA 94305-5723, United States.
authors.forename: Heather A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Kenna
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd MC 5723, Stanford, CA 94305-5723, United States.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reynolds-May
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd MC 5723, Stanford, CA 94305-5723, United States.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stepanenko
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd MC 5723, Stanford, CA 94305-5723, United States.
authors.forename: Terence A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Ketter
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd MC 5723, Stanford, CA 94305-5723, United States.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hallmayer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd MC 5723, Stanford, CA 94305-5723, United States. Electronic address: nrasgon@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Natalie L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Rasgon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
keywords: Bipolar disorder; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Depressive symptomatology; Val66met; Women