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Moreno IAuthorStojanovic-Pérez AAuthorBulduk BAuthorSanchez-Gistau VAuthorOrtega LAuthorMuntané GAuthorVilella EAuthorMartorell LCorresponding Author

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High blood levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA in early psychosis are associated with inflammatory markers

Publicated to:Journal Of Psychiatric Research. 164 440-446 - 2023-08-01 164(), DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.07.003

Authors: Moreno, Irene; Stojanovic-Perez, Alexander; Bulduk, Bengisu; Sanchez-Gistau, Vanessa; Algora, Maria Jose; Ortega, Laura; Muntane, Gerard; Vilella, Elisabet; Labad, Javier; Martorell, Lourdes

Affiliations

Hosp Mataro, Consorci Sanit Maresme, Fdn Parc Tauli, Mataro, Catalonia, Spain - Author
Hosp Univ Inst Pere Mata HUIPM, Reus, Catalonia, Spain - Author
Hosp Univ Inst Pere Mata, Res Dept, Ctra Inst Pere Mata S-N, Reus 43206, Catalonia, Spain - Author
Inst Invest Sanitaria Pere Virgili CERCA IISPV CER, Reus, Catalonia, Spain - Author
Inst Salud Carlos III, Ctr Invest Biomed Red Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain - Author
Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili , Departament d'Infermeria - Author
Institut Pere Mata , Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red de Salud Mental , Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili , Universitat Rovira i Virgili - Author
Institut Pere Mata , Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red de Salud Mental , Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona , Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili , Universitat Rovira i Virgili - Author
Institut Pere Mata , Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili , Universitat Rovira i Virgili - Author
Instituto de Neurociencias, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona , Hospital de Mataro - Author
Psychiat Baselland, Liestal, Switzerland - Author
Psychiatrie Baselland - Author
Univ Autonoma Barcelona UAB, Inst Innovacio & Invest Parc Tauli i I3PT, Inst Neurociencies, Translat Neurosci Res Unit I3PT Inc UAB, Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain - Author
Univ Pompeu Fabra UPF, Inst Biol Evolut, IBE, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain - Author
Univ Rovira & Virgili URV, Reus, Catalonia, Spain - Author
URV, Dept Infermeria, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain - Author
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Abstract

The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs6265C > T, Val66Met, affects BDNF secretion and has been related to inflammatory processes. Both the rs6265 and BDNF protein levels have been widely investigated in neuropsychiatric disorders with conflicting results. In the present study we examined BDNF mRNA expression in blood considering the SNP rs6265 and its relationship with inflammatory markers in the early stages of psychosis. The rs6265 genotype and blood BDNF mRNA levels were measured in 34 at-risk mental states (ARMS) individuals, 37 patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) and 42 healthy controls (HCs) by quantitative PCR and reverse transcription (RT)-qPCR using validated TaqMan assays. We also obtained measures of interleukin-6 (IL6) mRNA levels, fibrinogen, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. We identified that BDNF mRNA levels were associated with the rs6265 genotype in an allele-dose-dependent manner, with low expression levels associated with the T allele (Met substitution). Thus, we controlled for the rs6265 genotype in all analyses. Blood BDNF mRNA levels differed between diagnostic groups: patients with FEP exhibited higher blood BDNF mRNA levels than ARMS individuals, and the lowest levels were observed in HC. In addition, we observed significant correlations between BDNF mRNA levels and inflammatory markers (IL6 mRNA levels and NLR), controlled by the rs6265 genotype, in ARMS and FEP groups. This exploratory study suggests that the rs6265 genotype is associated with differential blood mRNA expression of BDNF that increases with illness progression and correlated with inflammation in the early stages of psychosis.

Keywords

At-risk mental statesBrain-derived neurotrophic factorFirst-episode psychosisGenotypeHumansIl6InflammationInterleukin-6Mrna expressionPolymorphism, single nucleotidePsychotic disordersRs6265

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Journal Of Psychiatric Research due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2023, it was in position 63/279, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Psychiatry.

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-06-15:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 14.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 14 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 1.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 1 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Switzerland.

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (Moreno Fernández, Irene) and Last Author (Martorell Bonet, Lourdes).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been Martorell Bonet, Lourdes.