Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) exon IX promoter methylation levels, serum BDNF protein levels, and serum mRNA levels were investigated in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls. Over two years, 51 patients with MDD and 62 healthy controls were recruited. Peripheral blood was drawn from all participants to analyze the BDNF exon IX promoter methylation levels as well as serum BDNF protein and mRNA levels, at baseline and after four weeks of antidepressant treatment. Methylation sequential analysis showed that patients with MDD (n = 39) had a higher methylation level at CpG site 217 and lower methylation levels at CpG site 327 and CpG site 362. Drug responders (n = 25) had a higher methylation level at CpG site 24 and CpG site 324 than the non-responders (n = 11). Patients with MDD had a lower serum BDNF protein and mRNA levels than the healthy controls. In conclusion, these results showed that BDNF exon IX promoter methylation levels, serum BDNF protein level, and serum BDNF mRNA level could contribute to the pathophysiology of a major depressive disorder.
Highlights
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been established as a candidate molecule for the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia [1] and major depressive disorder (MDD) [2,3,4,5]
Lower serum BDNF protein levels were frequently observed in the patients with MDD, as compared with healthy controls, and the presence of BDNF polymorphisms had been associated with lower BDNF protein levels and certain clinical phenotypes, such as suicide
We aimed to investigate the associations of BDNF promoter exon IX DNA methylation, BDNF protein, and mRNA levels in the peripheral blood of patients with MDD and healthy controls
Summary
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been established as a candidate molecule for the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia [1] and major depressive disorder (MDD) [2,3,4,5]. Methylation levels of BDNF exon I and IV promoters in peripheral blood were studied more extensively, and were found be to be associated with severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia [34,35], bipolar mania [36] and MDD [5,24,28,37]. We aimed to investigate the associations of BDNF promoter exon IX DNA methylation, BDNF protein, and mRNA levels in the peripheral blood of patients with MDD and healthy controls
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