title: Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Children and Adolescents with Cirrhosis Due to Biliary Atresia.
abstract: The nutritional status in patients with cirrhosis is not so easy to assess properly. Considering the relationship between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and energy homeostasis, the main aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration of BDNF in children and adolescents with cirrhosis due to biliary atresia (BA) and correlate it with their nutritional status.
  
  
  
  Fifty-three children and adolescents with cirrhosis due to BA and 33 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Nutritional status was evaluated using anthropometric parameters, and serum BDNF was measured by ELISA. Spearman coefficient was used to evaluate the correlation between variables.
  
  
  
  In the cirrhosis group, 28.8% were undernourished and in the control group, 100% were well-nourished. BDNF median values for the control and cirrhosis group were 28.5 and 9.0 pg/ml respectively. BDNF and platelets were positively associated with both Standard Deviation Score (SDS) for height-for-age ratio and SDS for triceps skinfold thickness-for-age ratio.
  
  
  
  Considering these associations, BDNF may be an indirect biomarker of nutritional status in children and adolescents with chronic liver disease. Further studies must be conducted to clarify the role of BDNF in this population.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Research Center, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Inês A
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Wilasco
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Uribe-Cruz
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Santetti
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pfaffenseller
authors.forename: Cristina T L
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Dornelles
authors.forename: Themis R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: da Silveira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001656:Biliary Atresia / Q000150:complications*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor