Association of lower serum Brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels with larger infarct volumes in acute ischemic stroke

- Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of stroke.
- There was a significantly negative correlation between levels of BDNF and NHISS (P < 0.001).
- Reduced BDNF associated with larger DWI infarct volume and worse neurological deficit
- BDNF supplementation might be used to reduce the lesion volumes in stroke patients.

ObjectiveBrain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a potential role in stroke recovery, as it promotes plasticity. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between infarct volume using DWI and BDNF at admission in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).MethodsThe study population comprised consecutive patients with an AIS diagnosis who had been referred to our hospital between January 2015 and June 2016. The severity of stroke was evaluated by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at admission. Infarct volumes indicated by DWI were measured with MIPAV software. The relationship between median DWI infarct volume and serum BDNF level quartiles was evaluated using a semiparametric approach with univariate and multivariate quartile regression analysis.ResultsIn this study, 270 patients were included and met the study criteria. The median DWI infarct volumes for the serum BDNF level quartiles (lowest to highest) were 10.56, 5.13, 3.75 and 2.43 ml. Nonparametric Spearman rank correlation revealed a statistically significant negative correlation between serum BDNF level and DWI infarct volume (r = − 0.363; P < 0.001). The median DWI infarct volume in the lowest BDNF quartile was significantly larger than those in the upper 3 quartiles (P < 0.001). Further, median adjusted DWI infarct volumes (IQR) for each of the BDNF level quartiles were 7.77, 4.56, 3.75, and 2.43 ml from lowest to highest quartiles.ConclusionsLarger stroke infarct volumes using DWI are associated with lower levels of BDNF at admission. Further investigations are suggested to elucidate the role of BDNF as part of a potential neuroprotective strategy.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of stroke. This study aims to determine the effects of BDNF on infarct volume using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The data show reduced serum BDNF levels in acute ischemic stroke are associated with larger volumes of ischemic tissue and worse neurological deficit (assessed by the NIHSS). Scatter plots showing multivariate adjusted median DWI infarct volumes (Intermediate line), IQR (up and bottom lines), and minimum and maximum values across the range of serum BDNF level quartiles. Serum BDNF levels in Quartile 1 (< 14.5 ng/ml), Quartile 2 (14.5-22.1 ng/ml), Quartile 3 (22.2-27.5 ng/ml), and Quartile 4 (> 27.5 ng/ml).71