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Decreased peripheral brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in Alzheimer’s disease: a meta-analysis study (N=7277)

Molecular Psychiatry volume 22, pages 312–320 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Studies suggest that dysfunction of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a possible contributor to the pathology and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Several studies report reduced peripheral blood levels of BDNF in AD, but findings are inconsistent. This study sought to quantitatively summarize the clinical BDNF data in patients with AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI, a prodromal stage of AD) with a meta-analytical technique. A systematic search of Pubmed, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library identified 29 articles for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Random-effects meta-analysis showed that patients with AD had significantly decreased baseline peripheral blood levels of BDNF compared with healthy control (HC) subjects (24 studies, Hedges' g=−0.339, 95% confidence interval (CI)=−0.572 to −0.106, P=0.004). MCI subjects showed a trend for decreased BDNF levels compared with HC subjects (14 studies, Hedges' g=−0.201, 95% CI=−0.413 to 0.010, P=0.062). No differences were found between AD and MCI subjects in BDNF levels (11 studies, Hedges' g=0.058, 95% CI=−0.120 to 0.236, P=0.522). Interestingly, the effective sizes and statistical significance improved after excluding studies with reported medication in patients (between AD and HC: 18 studies, Hedges' g=−0.492, P<0.001; between MCI and HC: 11 studies, Hedges' g=−0.339, P=0.003). These results strengthen the clinical evidence that AD or MCI is accompanied by reduced peripheral blood BDNF levels, supporting an association between the decreasing levels of BDNF and the progression of AD.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health, USA, the Minzu University 985 Academic Team-building Fund (YLDX01013, 2015MDTD13C, 25C and 08C) and the 111 Project of China (B08044).

Author contributions

YC and X-YQ conceived and designed the study, X-YQ and CC collected the data. X-YQ, CC, NXC, T-TL, JY, YPL and YC analyzed and interpreted the data. YC wrote the manuscript with editing from NXC.

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Author notes

  1. X-Y Qin and C Cao: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section on Translational Neuroscience, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China

    X-Y Qin, C Cao, T-T Liu & J Yuan

  2. Section on Cellular Neurobiology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA,

    N X Cawley, Y P Loh & Y Cheng

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  1. X-Y Qin
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  2. C Cao
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  3. N X Cawley
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  5. J Yuan
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  7. Y Cheng
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Correspondence to Y Cheng.

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Qin, XY., Cao, C., Cawley, N. et al. Decreased peripheral brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in Alzheimer’s disease: a meta-analysis study (N=7277). Mol Psychiatry 22, 312–320 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2016.62

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