Nerve growth factor variations in patients with mood disorders: no changes in eight weeks of clinical treatment

Abstract

Background

Nerve growth factor (NGF) has received much attention for its role in mood disorders. The primary objective of the present study was to examine serum NGF levels in Chinese inpatients with depressive or manic episodes in the acute phase and to explore the changes in NGF levels after effective clinical treatments.

Methods

One hundred and seven consecutive inpatients and outpatients with mood disorders (30 with unipolar depression, 23 with bipolar depression, and 54 with bipolar mania), and 50 healthy controls were recruited. The serum NGF levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

Patients with bipolar mania presented higher serum NGF levels compared to those of healthy controls. After 8 weeks of medical treatment, there were significant improvements in symptoms in patients, but no significant changes in NGF levels.

Conclusion

The present findings may help to strengthen and expand the understanding of the role of NGF in the acute stages of mood disorders.

Keywords:

• neurotrophins
• depression
• mania
• bipolar disorder
• acute phase
• clinical sample

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by projects from SMC-Morningstar Excellent Young Teachers (C plan) in Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Health Bureau (2009098), National Natural Science Foundation of China (81000588, 61102020, 81201043), “Shanghai Health System Young Talents Training Plan” in Shanghai Health Bureau (XYQ2011016), Shanghai Municipal Natural Science Foundation (12ZR1448400), the National Key Clinical Disciplines at Shanghai Mental Health Center (OMA-MH, 2011-873) and Doctoral Innovation Fund Projects from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (BXJ 201345). We thank the patients and healthy volunteers for participation and the medical staff for collecting specimens. We are also grateful for the support from division of mood disorders in Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

Disclosure

All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest in this work.