The Institute of Stress Medicine, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden; The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2019 Nov;109:104415. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104415. Epub 2019 Aug 20.
Growth factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF), and neurotrophic factors, including brain-derived neurotophic factor (BDNF), have attracted attention in studies of the biological effects of long-term stress exposure due to their neuroprotective roles. This study investigated whether circulating levels of EGF, VEGF and BDNF were altered in individuals with stress-related exhaustion disorder. Forty patients diagnosed with exhaustion disorder and 40 healthy subjects (50% women) provided fasting blood samples for analysis of EGF, VEGF, and BDNF in plasma. We found significantly lower levels of EGF, VEGF, and BDNF in patients with ED compared to healthy controls. This pattern was seen in both male and female patients. Given the important roles of BDNF and VEGF for brain plasticity and neurogenesis, decreased levels after long-term stress exposure could indicate increased risk of neuronal damage and cognitive impairments in this patient group.
生长因子，如血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）和表皮生长因子（EGF），以及神经营养因子，包括脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF），由于其神经保护作用，在长期应激暴露的生物学效应研究中引起了关注。本研究调查了应激相关衰竭障碍患者循环中 EGF、VEGF 和 BDNF 的水平是否发生改变。40 名被诊断为衰竭障碍的患者和 40 名健康受试者（女性占 50%）提供了空腹血样，用于分析血浆中的 EGF、VEGF 和 BDNF。我们发现 ED 患者的 EGF、VEGF 和 BDNF 水平明显低于健康对照组。这种模式在男性和女性患者中均可见。鉴于 BDNF 和 VEGF 对大脑可塑性和神经发生的重要作用，长期应激暴露后水平下降可能表明该患者群体的神经元损伤和认知障碍风险增加。
