Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (
BDNF) is a member of the
neurotrophin family, which regulates neuronal differentiation and functions. Low levels of
BDNF are because of psychological stress and potentially play a role in the pathogenesis of depression and
cognition disorders. Because psychological stress and depression are associated with increased risk of
heart failure (HF), the pathogenic link between HF and psychological status has attracted clinical attention. We hypothesized that plasma
BDNF levels might be decreased in patients with HF and that
BDNF could be a key factor associated with HF. We evaluated plasma
BDNF levels in 242 patients with HF and 80 subjects without HF who are age and gender matched. Plasma
BDNF levels were significantly lower in patients with HF (3,712 pg/ml [2,124 to 6,180]) than those without HF (7,247 pg/ml [5,388 to 9,255], p <0.001) and lower in patients with HF with the New York Heart Association functional class III than class I (p = 0.01) and class II (p <0.001). Log
BDNF levels correlated negatively with log
B-type natriuretic peptide (r = -0.203, p = 0.03) in patients with HF. Of 61 acute decompensated patients with HF, plasma
BDNF levels were significantly higher at discharge (4,194 pg/ml [2,356 to 6,916]) compared with those at admission (2,749 pg/ml [1,380 to 4,161], p = 0.003). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified log
BDNF level as a significant correlate with the presence of HF (odds ratio 0.82; 95% confidence interval 0.76 to 0.91, p <0.001). In conclusion, plasma
BDNF levels were decreased in patients with HF and associated with HF severity.
BDNF could be a potentially clinically useful
biomarker of HF reflecting possible cardio-neuronal linkage.