title: Nerve growth factor variations in patients with mood disorders: no changes in eight weeks of clinical treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nerve growth factor (NGF) has received much attention for its role in mood disorders. The primary objective of the present study was to examine serum NGF levels in Chinese inpatients with depressive or manic episodes in the acute phase and to explore the changes in NGF levels after effective clinical treatments.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and seven consecutive inpatients and outpatients with mood disorders (30 with unipolar depression, 23 with bipolar depression, and 54 with bipolar mania), and 50 healthy controls were recruited. The serum NGF levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with bipolar mania presented higher serum NGF levels compared to those of healthy controls. After 8 weeks of medical treatment, there were significant improvements in symptoms in patients, but no significant changes in NGF levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present findings may help to strengthen and expand the understanding of the role of NGF in the acute stages of mood disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaohua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Tianhong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Daihui
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yingying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhiguang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yiru
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Kaida
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jiang
keywords: acute phase; bipolar disorder; clinical sample; depression; mania; neurotrophins