The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2005 · 135 citations · 13 references
MedicineNeurosciencePsychiatryGlial BiologyMolecular NeurobiologyMolecular NeuroscienceAffective DisordersBipolar DisordersDepressionDepressive DisordersGlial PathologyNeurotrophic FactorsBipolar Spectrum DisordersDepression PathophysiologyEtiology Of Mood DisordersGlial Growth Factor SignalingMood DysregulationNeurobiological MarkersNeurobiology Of DepressionNeurotrophic Factor Signaling
Recent post-mortem and imaging studies provide evidence for a glial reduction in different brain areas in mood disorders. This study was aimed to test whether glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), a member of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta superfamily, in blood levels was associated with mood disorders. We measured GDNF and TGF-beta levels in whole blood in remitted patients with mood disorders [n=56; major depressive disorders (MDD) 39, bipolar disorders (BD) 17] and control subjects (n=56). GDNF and TGF-beta were assayed with the sandwich ELISA method. Total GDNF levels were significantly lower in MDD and in BD than in control subjects (MDD, p=0.0003; BD, p=0.018), while no significant difference in total TGF-beta1 or total TGF-beta2 levels was found in these groups. Our study suggests that lower GDNF levels might be involved in the pathophysiology of mood disorders, although this preliminary study has several limitations.
13