title: Cross-sex hormone treatment in male-to-female transsexual persons reduces serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).
abstract: Serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are reduced in male-to-female transsexual persons (MtF) compared to male controls. It was hypothesized before that this might reflect either an involvement of BDNF in a biomechanism of transsexualism or to be the result of persistent social stress due to the condition. Here, we demonstrate that 12 month of cross-sex hormone treatment reduces serum BDNF levels in male-to-female transsexual persons independent of anthropometric measures. Participants were acquired through the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI). Reduced serum BDNF in MtF thus seems to be a result of hormonal treatment rather than a consequence or risk factor of transsexualism.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: jo.fuss@uke.de.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fuss
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Medicine of Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hellweg
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van Caenegem
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Peer
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Briken
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Diabetology and Internal Medicine, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Günter K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Stalla
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: T'Sjoen
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Diabetology and Internal Medicine, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Auer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D003270:Contraceptive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017373:Cyproterone Acetate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D004967:Estrogens; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D063106:Transgender Persons; D014189:Transsexualism / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D003270:Contraceptive Agents; D004967:Estrogens; D017373:Cyproterone Acetate; D004958:Estradiol
keywords: Estradiol; Gender dysphoria; Gender identity disorder; Neurotrophin; Testosterone; Transgender