Psychiatry Investig.  2016 Sep;13(5):526-530. 10.4306/pi.2016.13.5.526.

Decreased Plasma BDNF Levels of Patients with Somatization Disorder

• Kang NI
• Park JI
• Kim YK
• Yang JC

• KMID: 2354473
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4306/pi.2016.13.5.526

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), one of the most abundant and important neurotrophins, is known to be involved in the development, survival, maintenance, and plasticity of neurons in the nervous system. Some studies have suggested that BDNF may play a role in the pathophysiology of several psychiatric illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia. Similarly, it is likely that the alteration of BDNF may be associated with the neuro-modulation that contributes to the development of somatization disorder.
METHODS
The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is an abnormality of plasma BDNF levels in patients with somatization disorder, and to analyze the nature of the alteration after pharmacotherapy using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
RESULTS
The plasma BDNF levels of the patients with a somatization disorder were significantly lower compared with those of the control volunteers (83.61±89.97 pg/mL vs. 771.36±562.14 pg/mL); moreover, the plasma BDNF levels of those patients who received an antidepressant were significantly increased after the treatment (118.13±91.45 pg/mL vs. 72.92±88.21 pg/mL).
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that BDNF may play a role in the pathophysiology of somatization disorder.

Keyword

Somatization disorder; BDNF; Neurotrophin

MeSH Terms

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor*
Depression
Drug Therapy
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Humans
Nerve Growth Factors
Nervous System
Neurons
Plasma*
Plastics
Schizophrenia
Somatoform Disorders*
Volunteers
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
Nerve Growth Factors
Plastics