title: Neurotrophic factors in depression in response to treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF) have been suggested to play a role in the pathophysiology of depression. The neurotrophic model of depression hypothesises that the serum level of e.g. BDNF is decreased during depression and increased in response to treatment. The aim of the present study was to investigate BDNF and VEGF as potential predictors of response to antidepressant treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the longitudinal associations between depression scores and serum levels of these neurotrophic factors during antidepressant treatment in 90 individuals with depression of at least moderate severity. Serum levels were measured at baseline and after 8 and 12 weeks of treatment with nortriptyline or escitalopram.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No baseline or longitudinal correlations between depression scores and serum levels of BDNF and VEGF were found, and the baseline serum levels did not predict the MADRS depression score after 12 weeks of treatment or the improvement in depression scores. Interestingly, we observed a significant baseline and longitudinal correlation between serum levels of BDNF and VEGF. The two classes of antidepressant treatment did not affect the results differently.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Information on potential factors influencing the serum levels is missing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results do not support the neurotrophic model of depression, since a significant decrease in serum BDNF and VEGF levels after 12 weeks of antidepressant treatment was observed. Our study encourages future studies with large sample sizes, more observations and a longer follow-up period.
authors.affiliation: Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Skovagervej 2, 8240 Risskov, Denmark; The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Denmark. Electronic address: henrbutt@rm.dk.
authors.forename: Henriette N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Buttenschøn
authors.affiliation: Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Skovagervej 2, 8240 Risskov, Denmark; The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Denmark; Bioinformatics Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Centre for Integrative Sequencing, iSEQ, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Foldager
authors.affiliation: Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Skovagervej 2, 8240 Risskov, Denmark.
authors.forename: Betina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Elfving
authors.affiliation: Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Skovagervej 2, 8240 Risskov, Denmark.
authors.forename: Pia H P
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.affiliation: Kings College London, England; Department of Psychiatry, Halifax, Canada.
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Uher
authors.affiliation: The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Denmark; Research Department P, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark.
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mors
mesh_terms: D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects; D015283:Citalopram / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009661:Nortriptyline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D015283:Citalopram; C579455:BDNF protein, human; D009661:Nortriptyline
keywords: Antidepressant treatment; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF); Depression; Longitudinal; Serum; Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)