Abstract
BackgroundBrain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is one of the proteins that contributes to the survival, growth, maintenance of neurons, and plays important roles in the pathophysiology of depression. It has been reported that depression is closely associated with the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris disease. But, there is no report of serum BDNF levels in patients with acne vulgaris. The study aimed to determine the potential association between BDNF and depressive symptoms in young adults with acne vulgaris.MethodsIn this analytical cross-sectional study, the serum BDNF levels were measured in peripheral blood samples of 20 consecutive acne vulgaris patients with depression and 98 consecutive acne vulgaris patients without depression and also compared it with a 59 healthy control group by using a ELISA. The potential correlation between the BDNF levels, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and depressive symptoms such as nine-item patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Athens insomnia scale (AIS) were evaluated with multivariate logistic regression analysis.ResultsOur results showed that levels of BDNF expression were lower in consecutive acne vulgaris patients when compared with healthy control (P < 0.05). There was a negative correlation between levels of BDNF and the PHQ-9 scores (r = − 0.486, P < 0.001). Furthermore, acne vulgaris patients with depression showed lower serum BDNF levels (10.96 ± 2.12 ng/ml) compared with acne vulgaris patients without depression (13.85 ± 2.47 ng/ml), as well as with healthy control (14.35 ± 2.70 ng/mg; both P < 0.05). No difference was found in serum BDNF levels between healthy control and acne vulgaris patients without depressive symptoms (z = 0.964, P > 0.05). Similarly, the overall area under the curve of receiver operating characteristic was 0.82, indicating the highly conserving of serum BDNF levels as an biomarker for screening of depression in young adults with acne vulgaris (72% sensitivity and 85% specificity).ConclusionSerum BDNF levels were decreased and negatively associated with depressive symptoms in young Chinese adults with acne vulgaris.
Highlights
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is one of the proteins that contributes to the survival, growth, maintenance of neurons, and plays important roles in the pathophysiology of depression
Summarized data from all individuals showed that the quantity of serum levels of BDNF in acne vulgaris patients were significantly lower than that in healthy controls (13.35 ± 2.65 vs. 14.35 ± 2.70; P = 0.038)
Serum levels of BDNF was inversely correlated with depression Our results clearly show a negative correlation between serum levels of BDNF and 9-item patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) score in acne vulgaris patients (r = − 0.486, P < 0.001; Fig. 1a)
Summary
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is one of the proteins that contributes to the survival, growth, maintenance of neurons, and plays important roles in the pathophysiology of depression. It has been reported that depression is closely associated with the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris disease. There is no report of serum BDNF levels in patients with acne vulgaris. The study aimed to determine the potential association between BDNF and depressive symptoms in young adults with acne vulgaris. Previous studies have reported that depression was identified in approximately 68.3% of acne vulgaris patients [7, 8]. Diagnostic accuracy of acne vulgaris is highly variable, and result is often affected by the type of depression scale, the patient’s education level, and personal views of patient [10]. Finding the non-invasive scanning biomarkers and their incorporation into clinical practice could alter the future outcomes of acne vulgaris treatment [13]. The development of novel biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity for scarring the depression in acne vulgaris patients are still needed
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