BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR IS INCREASED IN CEREBROSPINAL-FLUIDOF CHILDREN SUFFERING FROM ASPHYXIA

Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophic factor that is relatively highly expressed in developing and adult brain. Whereas clinical determinations of nerve growth factor (NGF) in human serum a nd cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in different conditions have been underta ken there are no reports on levels of BDNF in human CSF. Here we show that BDNF is increased in CSF of neonatal children suffering from asph yxia which is characterised by periods of brain hypoxic-ischemia. In c ontrast to BDNF, levels of CSF NGF were largely decreased in these chi ldren. The present results show that BDNF can be detected in human CSF and that the levels increase following hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. As suggested by animal studies the increased BDNF might counteract ne uronal damage observed in these patients following asphyxia. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.