Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentration at birth had significant negative correlation with later diagnosis of BPD (P = 0.011) and with duration of invasive ventilation and oxygen supplementation (P = 0.009 and 0.015, respectively).
BDNF gene expression was one of the genetic biomarkers that highlighted because of its capacity of distinguishing BPD and MDD groups, and being adequately reproduced by more than one selected study.
Results suggest that: (i) NRN1 variability is a shared risk factor for both SSD and BPD, (ii) NRN1 may have a selective impact on age at onset and intelligence in SSD, and (iii) the role of NRN1 seems to be not independent of BDNF.
The positive association of BNDF Val66Met with high BMI values replicates previous findings in patients with SCZ and indicates the BDNFVal66Met genotype as a potential risk factor for obesity and insulin resistance measures in patients with BPD receiving antipsychotics as well.
There is no compelling evidence to supportVal66Met polymorphism in BDNF gene playing an important role in the susceptibility to BPD across different ethnicities.
Although these results should be interpreted with caution because of the limited sample for Val/Val genotype in BPD-II patients (N = 5), these findings strengthen the hypothesis that BDNF pathway gets involved in the etiology and pharmacology of BPD and suggest the differences between BPD-I and BPD-II.
Positive associations with pediatric BPD and the BDNF gene (Vall66), the GAD1 gene (4s2241165), and the dopamine transporter gene (rs41084) have been reported but none of these associations have been replicated in independent samples.