Abstract
Suicide is a leading cause of death and a significant public health concern. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein important to nervous system function, has been implicated in psychiatric disorders and suicidal behaviour. We investigated the association between serum levels of BDNF and attempted suicide in a sample of 281 participants using a case-control study design. Participants were recruited from clinical and community settings between March 2011 and November 2014. Cases (individuals who had attempted suicide) (n = 84) were matched on sex and age (within five years) to both psychiatric controls (n = 104) and community controls (n = 93) with no history of suicide attempts. We collected fasting blood samples, socio-demographic information, physical measurements, and detailed descriptions of suicide attempts. We used linear regression analysis to determine the association between BDNF level (dependent variable) and attempted suicide (key exposure variable), adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, current smoking status, and antidepressant use. 250 participants were included in this analysis. In the linear regression model, attempted suicide was not significantly associated with BDNF level (β = 0.28, SE = 1.20, P = 0.82). Our findings suggest that no significant association exists between attempted suicide and BDNF level. However, the findings need to be replicated in a larger cohort study.
Highlights
Suicide claims nearly one million lives each year, making it a leading cause of death worldwide and a significant public health concern[1]
In the present study we examine the relationship between serum Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and recent suicide attempts in a large clinical sample using a case-control study design
Upon examining the association between serum BDNF level and attempted suicide using a case-control design, our findings demonstrate that serum BDNF level was not significantly associated with attempted suicide
Summary
Suicide claims nearly one million lives each year, making it a leading cause of death worldwide and a significant public health concern[1]. Many risk factors are thought to contribute to the risk of suicidal behaviour These include biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors[3,4,5]. Illness, substance use disorders, and demographic variables such as age and sex[3] These biological and psychological factors point to a predisposition toward suicidal behaviour in some individuals. Low blood levels of BDNF have been linked to depression[8,9] and reduced BDNF expression in the brain has been linked to stress[10,11]. Both depression and stress are major risk factors for suicidal behaviour[7]. Since BDNF is intrinsic to optimal nervous system function, pathological changes in BDNF levels are a possible cause of neurobiological deficits that impair one’s ability to adapt to difficult situations[7]
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