Maternal nerve growth factor serum levels in the perinatal period

• Published in: Journal of reproductive immunology Vol. 74; no. 1; pp. 170 - 173
• Main Authors: Schulte-Herbrüggen, Olaf, Litzke, Julia, Hornych, Katharina, Zingler, Christiana, Höppner, Jacqueline, Virchow, J. Christian, Hellweg, Rainer, Lommatzsch, Marek
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-06-2007; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - blood; Depression; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hormone metabolism and regulation; Humans; Menstrual cycle; Nerve Growth Factor - blood; NGF; Obstetrics and Gynecology; Postpartum Period - blood; Pregnancy; Pregnancy - blood; Pregnancy. Parturition. Lactation; Vertebrates: reproduction; Pregnancy; Depression; Menstrual cycle; NGF; Human; Neurotrophin; Immunomodulation; Perinatal; Nerve growth factor; Female; Brain derived neurotrophic factor
• ISSN: 0165-0378; 1872-7603
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2006.10.003

Abstract Neurotrophins, such as nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), are potent modulators of neuronal and immune function, and have been implicated recently in diseases associated with pregnancy. In contrast to serum BDNF, which is reportedly suppressed in the perinatal period, regulation of NGF in the perinatal period is unknown. In this study, serum NGF concentrations were measured in 40 pregnant (follow-up: 30th and 37th week of gestation, 1 week and 8 weeks after childbirth) and 40 non-pregnant women. Maternal NGF serum levels did not differ significantly from controls (median: 7.6 pg NGF/ml serum) neither before nor after childbirth, although there was a trend towards increased NGF concentrations at the 37th week of gestation (median: 12.5 pg NGF/ml serum) and 1 week after childbirth (median: 11.6 pg NGF/ml serum). There was no association of maternal NGF with 17β-estradiol, progesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and cortisol concentrations in maternal serum, or maternal depression, as measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). In the non-pregnant control group, NGF serum concentrations were negatively correlated with the number of days since the first day of the menstrual cycle ( r = −0.32, p < 0.05). In conclusion, NGF is not altered during normal pregnancy on a systemic level. In addition, NGF displays a different regulation compared with BDNF during the menstrual cycle.