Abstract
The identification of growth factors as potential biomarkers in alcohol addiction may help to understand underlying mechanisms associated with the pathogenesis of alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Previous studies have linked growth factors to neural plasticity in neurocognitive impairment and mental disorders. In order to further clarify the impact of chronic alcohol consumption on circulating growth factors, a cross-sectional study was performed in abstinent AUD patients (alcohol group, N = 91) and healthy control subjects (control group, N = 55) to examine plasma concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and IGF-1 binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3). The association of these plasma peptides with relevant AUD-related variables and psychiatric comorbidity was explored. The alcohol group was diagnosed with severe AUD and showed an average of 13 years of problematic use and 10 months of abstinence at the moment of participating in the study. Regarding common medical conditions associated with AUD, we observed an elevated incidence of alcohol-induced liver and pancreas diseases (18.7%) and psychiatric comorbidity (76.9%). Thus, AUD patients displayed a high prevalence of dual diagnosis (39.3%) [mainly depression (19.9%)] and comorbid substance use disorders (40.7%). Plasma BDNF and IGF-1 concentrations were significantly lower in the alcohol group than in the control group (p<0.001). Remarkably, there was a negative association between IGF-1 concentrations and age in the control group (r = -0.52, p<0.001) that was not found in the alcohol group. Concerning AUD-related variables, AUD patients with liver and pancreas diseases showed even lower concentrations of BDNF (p<0.05). In contrast, the changes in plasma concentrations of these peptides were not associated with abstinence, problematic use, AUD severity or lifetime psychiatric comorbidity. These results suggest that further research is necessary to elucidate the role of BDNF in alcohol-induced toxicity and the biological significance of the lack of correlation between age and plasma IGF-1 levels in abstinent AUD patients.
Highlights
Alcohol consumption is one of the most important health problems in our society [1]
We examined brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs)-1 binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) concentrations in the plasma of abstinent alcohol use disorders (AUDs) patients, who were recruited from active outpatient treatment programs, and healthy subjects
These abstinent patients were clinically characterized through psychiatric interviews based on the DSM-IV-TR, and main AUD-related variables were determined
Summary
Chronic alcohol consumption can affect neurons and glial cells in the central nervous system (CNS), producing profound changes in synaptic structure and function. The toxic effects of alcohol exposure during early development may result in long-lasting behavioral and neurocognitive changes [2]; and excessive alcohol exposure during adulthood may lead to a chronic relapsing brain disease that receives the medical diagnosis of alcohol use disorder (AUD) [3]. Research in alcohol addiction has reported the existence of areas of the brain that may be vulnerable to alcohol toxicity through interference with the activity of cell-signaling systems, growth and trophic factors [7,8]. Studies in preclinical and clinical models of AUD provide evidence of the role of neurotrophic factors in alcoholinduced cognitive decline in brain areas, including the basal forebrain-cortex system [9,10]
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