Diagnostic Accuracy of Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor and Nitric oxide in Patients with Schizophrenia. A pilot study

Abstract

© by Vladimir Djorgevič 2016. Background: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nitric oxide (NO) play multiple roles in the developing and adult CNS. Since BDNF and NO metabolisms are dysregulated in schizophrenia, we measured these markers simultaneously in the blood of schizophrenics and assessed their diagnostic accuracy. Methods: Thirty-eight patients with schizophrenia classified according to demographic characteristics, symptomatology and therapy and 39 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were enrolled. BDNF was determined by the ELISA technique while the concentration of nitrite/nitrate (NO-2 /NO-3) was measured by the colorimetric method. Results: Serum BDNF levels were significantly lower (20.38±3.73 ng/mL, P=1.339E-05), whilst plasma NO-2/NO-3concentrations were significantly higher (84.3 (72-121) μmol/L, P=4.357E-08) in patients with schizophrenia than in healthy controls (25.65±4.32 ng/mL; 60.9 (50-76) μmol/L, respectively). The lowest value of BDNF (18.14±3.26 ng/mL) and the highest NO-2/NO-3 concentration (115.3 (80-138) μmol/L) were found in patients treated with second-generation antipsychotics (SGA). The patients diseased before the age of 24 and the patients suffering for up to one year had significantly lower serum BDNF levels than those diseased after the age of 24 and the patients who were ill longer than one year. Both BDNF and NO-2 /NO-3 showed good diagnostic accuracy, but BDNF had better ROC curve characteristics, especially in patients with negative symptomatology. Conclusions: BDNF and nitrite/nitrate showed inverse changes in schizophrenic patients. The most pronounced changes were found in patients treated with second-gene - ration antipsychotics. Although BDNF is not specific of schizophrenia, it may be a clinically useful biomarker for the diagnosis of patients expressing predominantly negative symptoms.