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. 2024;22(14):2433-2442.
doi: 10.2174/1570159X22999240223153901.

Reduced Serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Infants Affected by Severe Bronchiolitis

Raffaella Nenna  1 , Carla Petrella  2 , Enea Bonci  1 , Paola Papoff  1 , Margherita di Jorgi  1 , Laura Petrarca  1 , Maria Giulia Conti  1 , Christian Barbato  2 , Alessandra Pietrangeli  3 , Marco Fiore  2 , Fabio Midulla  4 , Brome Group  1
Affiliations

Reduced Serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Infants Affected by Severe Bronchiolitis

Raffaella Nenna et al. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2024.

Abstract

Background: Bronchiolitis is an acute viral infection of the lower respiratory tract, typical of infants in their first year of life and causing hypoxia in the most serious cases. Bronchiolitis recognizes various demographic risk factors that are associated with greater clinical severity; however, no laboratory factors are yet able to correlate with the clinical severity. Neurotrophins as Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) are mediators of neuronal plasticity. BDNF is constitutively expressed in smooth muscle cells and epithelium of the lower respiratory tract, and as it is released during inflammatory conditions, serum levels may have a relevant role in the prognosis of infants with bronchiolitis.

Objective: In the present pilot study, we aimed to disclose the presence of serum BDNF in infants hospitalized with bronchiolitis at discharge as a disease severity indicator.

Methods and results: Serum BDNF, measured at hospital discharge, was significantly lower in severe bronchiolitis (expressed as O2-supplemented infants). Furthermore, no changes were disclosed for the Tropomyosin receptor kinase B, the main BDNF receptor and neurofilament light chain, a biomarker of neuronal degeneration.

Conclusion: Low serum BDNF in infants with severe bronchiolitis could be associated with a higher utilization by lung cells or with an altered production by lung cells. Therefore, further research is required to study if a decreased production or increased consumption of this biomarker is at the base of the above-mentioned findings.

Keywords: BDNF; Neurotrophin; Nfl; O2 supplementation.; RSV; TrkB; bronchiolitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest, financial or otherwise.

Figures

Fig. (1)
Fig. (1)
Box plot of serum BDNF (left), Nfl (middle) and TrkB (right) according to Oxygen supplementation. Serum BDNF levels show a significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.02; using Mann-Whitney Test). Serum Nfl and TrkB show no significant differences between the two groups. The line in the middle of the boxes represents the median. The horizontal line at the top of the box represents the 75th percentile value. The horizontal line at the bottom of the box represents the 25th percentile value. The line at the top of the whisker represents the upper adjacent value. The line at the bottom of the whisker represents the lower adjacent value. Outlier values are not shown. In particular, the above-mentioned association was found to be stronger in the presence of a positive family history of smoking, fever and diffuse breath sounds.
Fig. (2)
Fig. (2)
Correlations according to Spearman between serum BDNF and PLT (left) and CRP (right). The Rho and P values are indicated in the box.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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