TY - JOUR PY - 2008// TI - Brain-derived neurotrophic factor val/met polymorphism and bipolar disorder: Association of the met allele with suicidal behavior of bipolar patients JO - Neuropsychobiology A1 - Kim, Byungsu A1 - Kim, Chi Yeop A1 - Hong, Jin Pyo A1 - Kim, Shin-Yoon A1 - Lee, Chris A1 - Joo, Yeon Ho SP - 97 EP - 103 VL - 58 IS - 2 N2 - 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.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0302-282X UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000162356 ID - ref1 ER -