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Increased serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels are associated with obsessive compulsive disorder in medication‑free children

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Abstract

This study aimed to investigate serum levels of neurotrophins, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF) and neurotrophin-3 (NTF3), and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA) members including adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol in children with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). The possible relationships between serum neurotrophins and HPA axis members were also addressed. A total of 60 medication-free children with OCD and 57 controls aged 8–18 years were enrolled in this study. The severity of OCD symptoms was determined by the Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. The severity of anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed by self-report inventories. The serum levels of neurotrophins, ACTH, and cortisol were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Serum BDNF levels were significantly higher in the OCD group than in the control group for either sex and for the whole sample. Compared to controls, serum ACTH levels were significantly higher in the OCD group for the whole sample. An analysis of covariance was also conducted for the whole sample and indicated that, while controlling the potential confounders, including body-mass index percentile, age, sex, and the severity of depression and anxiety, the results did not change. Strong negative correlations between BDNF, NGF and NTF3, and HPA axis members were determined in the patient group for either sex and for the whole sample. These findings suggest that dysregulations of BDNF and ACTH may be associated with childhood OCD. Furthermore, there may be inverse relationships between certain neurotrophins and HPA axis members in these patients.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the patients and their family members who participated in this study.

Funding

Funding for this study was provided by a grant from the Scientific Research Project Coordination Unit of Necmettin Erbakan University (Project Number: 191218008).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Meram School of Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University, 42090, Meram, Konya, Turkey

    Ayhan Bilgiç, Merve Sertdemir & Ömer Faruk Akça

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Meram School of Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey

    İbrahim Kılınç

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  1. Ayhan Bilgiç
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  2. Merve Sertdemir
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Correspondence to Ayhan Bilgiç.

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Bilgiç, A., Sertdemir, M., Kılınç, İ. et al. Increased serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels are associated with obsessive compulsive disorder in medication‑free children. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 31, 325–335 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01690-6

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