title: Do changes in the BDNF promoter methylation indicate the risk of alcohol relapse?
abstract: The neurotrophic growth factor brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was linked to the risk of alcohol relapse in clinical studies. In this study we investigated alterations in the methylation of the BDNF gene during alcohol withdrawal (day 1, 7 and 14) in 99 male alcohol-dependent patients compared to age matched healthy males (n=33). In particular, we aimed to investigate a possible association between the BDNF promoter methylation and the self-reported duration of alcohol abstinence before relapse. Mean methylation of the BDNF promoter was significantly increased in alcohol-dependent patients compared to the healthy controls (F=10.014, p<0.001) and decreased significantly during alcohol-withdrawal (F=10.014, p<0.001). Moreover, mean methylation was associated with depressive (F=2.014, p<0.001) and anxious symptoms in the alcohol-dependent patients (F=2.228, p<0.001). On day 14 of alcohol-withdrawal we found significantly higher methylation rates in those patients who abstained longer before relapse compared to those patients who abstained shorter (F=9.938, p<0.001). Our results suggest an association between BDNF expression and the symptomatology of alcohol withdrawal and imply that changes in the methylation of the BDNF IV gene may contribute to alcohol consumption.
authors.affiliation: Center for Addiction Research (CARe), Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hanover, Germany. Electronic address: heberlein.annemarie@mh-hannover.de.
authors.forename: Annemarie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heberlein
authors.affiliation: Center for Addiction Research (CARe), Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hanover, Germany.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Büscher
authors.affiliation: Center for Addiction Research (CARe), Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hanover, Germany.
authors.forename: Rilana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schuster
authors.affiliation: Center for Addiction Research (CARe), Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hanover, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kleimann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Chemistry, Medical School Hanover, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lichtinghagen
authors.affiliation: Center for Addiction Research (CARe), Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hanover, Germany.
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rhein
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kornhuber
authors.affiliation: Center for Addiction Research (CARe), Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hanover, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bleich
authors.affiliation: Center for Addiction Research (CARe), Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hanover, Germany.
authors.forename: Helge
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Frieling
authors.affiliation: Center for Addiction Research (CARe), Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hanover, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hillemacher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018899:CpG Islands; D019175:DNA Methylation; D003863:Depression / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D012008:Recurrence; D012306:Risk; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C579455:BDNF protein, human
keywords: Alcohol dependence; BDNF; Duration of abstinence; Epigenetic regulation