@article{ref1,
title="Brain-derived neurotrophic factor val/met polymorphism and bipolar disorder: Association of the met allele with suicidal behavior of bipolar patients",
journal="Neuropsychobiology",
year="2008",
author="Kim, Byungsu and Kim, Chi Yeop and Hong, Jin Pyo and Kim, Shin-Yoon and Lee, Chris and Joo, Yeon Ho",
volume="58",
number="2",
pages="97-103",
abstract="Background/Aims: The substitution of valine by methionine in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF Val/Met) gene alters the intracellular trafficking and regulated secretion of BDNF. This study tested whether the BDNF Val/Met polymorphism is associated with bipolar disorder in Korean subjects, and whether clinical features vary according to genotype. Methods: The allelic and genotypic distributions of BDNF Val/Met were determined in a population of 169 bipolar patients and 251 normal controls. Between-genotype comparisons of clinical features were performed without a priori knowledge of the genotype of individual patients. Results: Allelic distributions did not differ significantly between bipolar patients and controls (chi(2) = 0.400, p = 0.821). However, the rate of suicide attempts among the Val/Val (11.3%), Val/Met (28.8%) and Met/Met (38.9%) genotype groups were significantly different (chi(2) = 9.879, p = 0.007). Relative to patients with the Val/Val genotype, those with the Met/Met genotype had a 4.9-fold higher risk of suicide attempts (95% CI, 1.7-14.7). Conclusions: These findings suggest that BDNF Val/Met is related to the suicidal behavior of bipolar patients, and may have clinical relevance as a biological indicator of bipolar patients at risk of suicide.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0302-282X",
doi="10.1159/000162356",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000162356"
}