title: Low brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels are associated with active disease and poor prognosis in childhood acute leukemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor, tropomyosin-related receptor kinase B (TrkB) are involved in the maturation of B lymphocytes in the bone marrow (BM), promote cell differentiation in B-cell malignancies, and are associated with poor prognosis in adults with acute leukemia (AL). However, the role of BDNF in pediatric AL remains poorly understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We carried out a cohort observational study to evaluate BDNF levels in BM or peripheral blood (PB) samples from children with AL.
  
  
  METHODS
  BM or PB samples were collected from 57 children and adolescents with acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL), 14 children and adolescents with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and 44 healthy individuals (HI) of the same age range.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BDNF levels at diagnosis in AL patients were significantly lower when compared to HI. Samples from patients in complete remission from disease had higher levels of BDNF compared to those obtained from patients with malignant cells. Moreover, BDNF levels at diagnosis in patients who died were significantly lower compared to those found in survivors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings provide the first evidence for a possible role of BDNF as a marker of active disease and poor prognosis in pediatric AL.
authors.affiliation: Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Júlia Plentz
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Portich
authors.affiliation: Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mirela Severo
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.affiliation: Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael Pereira
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Medical Laboratory, Parque Belém Hospital, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruno Kilpp
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Goulart
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Beatriz Cardoso
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Oncology Service, Clinical Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jiseh Fagundes
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Loss
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Oncology Service, Clinical Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lauro José
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Gregianin
authors.affiliation: Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Algemir Lunardi
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Brunetto
authors.affiliation: Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: André Tesainer
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Brunetto
authors.affiliation: Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roesler
authors.affiliation: Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Caroline Brunetto
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: de Farias
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
keywords: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; acute lymphoid leukemia; acute myeloid leukemia; neurotrophin