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Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Women with Postpartum Affective Disorder and Suicidality

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Abstract

Our aim was to investigate serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in postpartum women, according to the presence of postpartum affective disorder (PPAD) and suicidality. A cross-sectional study was carried out with women between 45 and 90 days after delivery. PPAD (depression, manic and mixed episode) and suicide risk were assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. BDNF was assessed using a commercial ELISA kit. Linear regression was used for multivariate analyses. A hundred ninety women participated in the study, 15.3 % had PPAD, 7.4 % showed PPAD with suicide risk. BDNF levels were lower in subjects with three or more Stressful Life Events (P = 0.01). The serum BDNF levels of women with PPAD presenting suicide risk were significantly lower than those of women without suicide risk (1.50 ± 1.38 and 2.33 ± 1.28 ng/ml, P = 0.02). Clinicians should enquire postpartum women about their history of stressful life events, PPAD, and suicidality. This study shows the potential role of BDNF in the neurobiology of the association of PPAD and suicidality.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Brazilian grants CNPq, CAPES, PRONEX-FAPERGS, IVAPSA and FINEP IBN-Net as well as by the INCT-Excitotoxicity and Neuroprotection.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde & Comportamento, Centro de Ciências da Vida e da Saúde, Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Rua Gonçalves Chaves, 373 sala 411C, Pelotas, RS, CEP 96015-560, Brazil

    Ricardo Tavares Pinheiro, Karen Amaral Tavares Pinheiro, Fábio Monteiro da Cunha Coelho, Luciana de Ávila Quevedo, Marta Gazal, Ricardo Azevedo da Silva & Jean Pierre Oses

  2. Laboratório de Fisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Sáude de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Márcia Giovenardi & Aldo Bolten Lucion

  3. Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Diogo Onofre de Souza & Luis Valmor Portela

Authors
  1. Ricardo Tavares Pinheiro
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  2. Karen Amaral Tavares Pinheiro
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  3. Fábio Monteiro da Cunha Coelho
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  4. Luciana de Ávila Quevedo
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  5. Marta Gazal
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  6. Ricardo Azevedo da Silva
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  7. Márcia Giovenardi
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  8. Aldo Bolten Lucion
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  9. Diogo Onofre de Souza
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  10. Luis Valmor Portela
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  11. Jean Pierre Oses
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karen Amaral Tavares Pinheiro.

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Pinheiro, R.T., Pinheiro, K.A.T., da Cunha Coelho, F.M. et al. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Women with Postpartum Affective Disorder and Suicidality. Neurochem Res 37, 2229–2234 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-012-0851-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-012-0851-9

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