Neurology Group, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Neurol Sci. 2010 Jun;31(3):399-401. doi: 10.1007/s10072-009-0209-5. Epub 2010 Jan 29.
Sydenham's chorea (SC) is the neurologic manifestation of rheumatic fever. In addition to involuntary movements, SC patients show behavioral changes, such as hyperactivity, obsessions, and compulsions. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is related to neuronal development and differentiation. Since BDNF serum levels are altered in a series of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and Huntington's disease, we investigated the serum levels of BDNF in SC patients. Eighteen patients with acute SC, 4 with persistent SC and 27 control subjects were included in this study. BDNF was determined by ELISA. There was no significant difference between BDNF serum levels of control and acute SC groups (P = 0.12). Persistent SC patients presented decreased BDNF levels when compared to both control and acute SC groups (P < 0.001). Our results suggest that the persistence of symptoms in SC may be related to structural changes in the central nervous system as expressed by altered BDNF levels.
Sydenham 舞蹈病 (SC) 是风湿热的神经表现。除了不自主运动外，SC 患者还表现出行为改变，如多动、痴迷和强迫。脑源性神经营养因子 (BDNF) 与神经元的发育和分化有关。由于 BDNF 血清水平在一系列神经精神疾病中发生改变，如精神分裂症和亨廷顿病，我们研究了 SC 患者的 BDNF 血清水平。本研究纳入了 18 例急性 SC 患者、4 例持续性 SC 患者和 27 例对照组。通过 ELISA 法测定 BDNF。BDNF 血清水平在对照组和急性 SC 组之间无显著差异（P = 0.12）。与对照组和急性 SC 组相比，持续性 SC 患者的 BDNF 水平降低（P < 0.001）。我们的结果表明，SC 症状的持续存在可能与中枢神经系统的结构变化有关，这表现为 BDNF 水平的改变。
