Prophylactic lithium response and polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene
J K Rybakowski1, A Suwalska, M Skibinska
1Department of Adult Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland. rybakows@wlkp.top.pl
Introduction:
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been involved in the pathogenesis of bipolar mood disorder and in the mechanism of mood-normalizing action of lithium. The aim of this study was to find a possible association between lithium prophylactic effect in bipolar patients and two polymorphisms of BDNF gene.
Methods:
Eighty-eight patients (35 males, 53 females) with bipolar illness were studied. Duration of lithium prophylaxis ranged between 5-27 years (mean 15 years). Three categories of prophylactic lithium response were delineated: excellent responders (ER), partial responders (PR) and non-responders (NR). All patients were genotyped for two polymorphisms of BDNF gene: Val66Met and -270C/T.
Results:
The Val/Met genotype of Val66Met polymorphism occurred more frequently (p = 0.037) and there was a trend for a higher incidence of Met allele (p = 0.076), in ER than in NR. A trend for C/T genotype and T allele of -270C/T polymorphism was observed to occur more frequently in ER than in NR (p = 0.057 and p = 0.065, respectively).
Conclusion:
The data obtained suggest that polymorphism of BDNF gene may be connected with a quality of lithium prophylaxis.
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