title: Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is not regulated by testosterone in transmen.
abstract: Brain morphology significantly differs between the sexes. It has been shown before that some of these differences are attributable to the sex-specific hormonal milieu. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved in myriads of neuroplastic processes and shows a sexual dimorphism. Transsexual persons may serve as a model to study sex steroid-mediated effects on brain plasticity. We have recently demonstrated that serum levels of BDNF are reduced in transwomen following 12 months of cross-sex hormone treatment. We now wanted to look at the effects of testosterone treatment on BDNF in transmen. In contrast to our initial hypothesis, BDNF levels did not significantly change, despite dramatic changes in the sex-hormonal milieu. Our data indicate that testosterone does not seem to play a major role in the regulation of BDNF in females.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Diabetology and Internal Medicine, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Auer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Medicine of Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Bonhoefferweg 3, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hellweg
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martininstr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Peer
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Briken
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Diabetology and Internal Medicine, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Günter K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Stalla
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: T'Sjoen
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martininstr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fuss
keywords: BDNF; Brain morphology; Brain-derived neurotropic factor; Estradiol; Gender dysphoria; Platelets; Sex steroids; Testosterone; Transsexualism