Diniz Breno S, Teixeira Antonio L, Machado-Vieira Rodrigo, Talib Leda L, Gattaz Wagner F, Forlenza Orestes V
Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Department of Mental Health, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2013 May;21(5):493-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2013.01.014. Epub 2013 Feb 6.
Nerve growth factor (NGF) is one of the most abundant neurotrophic factors in the central nervous system and has been involved in several neuropsychiatric disorders.
We recruited 77 age- and gender-matched elderly subjects (38 with late-life depression, 17 with previous major depressive episode, and 22 healthy subjects in the comparison group). Serum concentration of NGF was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
NGF levels were significantly reduced in the depressed patients (p = 0.002) as compared with healthy elderly controls. Elderly control subjects with previous depressive episode also showed a significant reduction in NGF levels as compared with controls (p <0.01); NGF levels were similar between patients with current depressive episode and previous depressive episode (p = 0.2).
The present findings provide additional evidence to the relevance of reduced neurotrophic support in the pathophysiology of late-life depression. Also, reduced serum NGF level may be a state marker of depression in elderly subjects.
神经生长因子（NGF）是中枢神经系统中含量最丰富的神经营养因子之一，并且与多种神经精神疾病有关。
我们招募了77名年龄和性别匹配的老年受试者（38名患有老年期抑郁症，17名曾有过重度抑郁发作，22名健康受试者作为对照组）。通过酶联免疫吸附测定法测定血清NGF浓度。
与健康老年对照组相比，抑郁症患者的NGF水平显著降低（p = 0.002）。曾有过抑郁发作的老年对照受试者与对照组相比，其NGF水平也显著降低（p <0.01）；当前抑郁发作患者与曾有过抑郁发作患者的NGF水平相似（p = 0.2）。
本研究结果为神经营养支持减少在老年期抑郁症病理生理学中的相关性提供了更多证据。此外，血清NGF水平降低可能是老年受试者抑郁症的一种状态标志物。
