title: Association of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) with diagnosis of delirium in oncology inpatients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) blood levels as disease biomarkers of delirium in oncology inpatients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen oncology inpatients with delirium, 28 oncology inpatients without delirium, and 25 non-oncology controls (caregivers) were consecutively recruited from a Brazilian cancer center. This sample was matched by age, sex, and education level. The Confusion Assessment Method, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Digit Span Test were administered to ascertain delirium diagnosis. BDNF and TNF-α levels were measured by the Sandwich-ELISA method and flow cytometry, respectively. Blood samples were collected immediately after clinical evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oncology inpatients (with and without delirium) showed significantly lower BDNF levels compared with non-oncology controls (F = 13.830; p = 0.001). TNF-α levels did not differ between the three groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A cross-sectional relationship of BDNF and TNF-α blood levels with delirium in oncology inpatients was not demonstrated. The association between cancer and reduced serum BDNF levels may be mediated by confounding factors.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, BR.
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brum
authors.affiliation: Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, BR.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stertz
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, BR.
authors.forename: Ericksen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Borba
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, UFCSPA, Porto Alegre, RS, BR.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rumi
authors.affiliation: Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, BR.
authors.forename: Flávio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kapczinski
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, BR.
authors.forename: Analuiza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Camozzato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003693:Delirium / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha