• Tiao-Lai Huang, Yi-Yung Hung, Chien-Te Lee, and Rong-Fu Chen.
• Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital - Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC.
• Neuropsychobiology. 2012 Jan 1;65(2):65-9.

AimIn this study, we investigated serum protein levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) in patients with bipolar disorder.MethodsOver a 2-year period, 26 patients with bipolar I disorder (manic episode) and 56 healthy controls were recruited. The Young Mania Rating Scale scores of patients with bipolar mania were >26. Serum BDNF and TrkB protein levels were measured with ELISA kits.ResultsUsing ANCOVA with age adjustment, we found that there were no significant differences in serum BDNF protein levels between patients with bipolar mania and healthy controls (p = 0.582). In contrast, the serum TrkB protein level was significantly higher in bipolar mania patients than in healthy controls (p = 0.001), especially in women (p = 0.001). Of 26 patients with bipolar mania, 21 underwent a second measurement of serum BDNF and TrkB protein levels after a 4-week treatment with mood stabilizers. There were no significant changes in serum BDNF or TrkB protein levels.ConclusionThese findings suggest that serum TrkB protein levels may play an important role in the psychopathology of bipolar mania. However, a larger sample size is needed to confirm these results.Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

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