PMID- 28957772 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20180709 LR - 20180709 IS - 1873-3360 (Electronic) IS - 0306-4530 (Linking) VI - 86 DP - 2017 Dec TI - Assessment of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor in hair to study stress responses: A pilot investigation. PG - 134-143 LID - S0306-4530(17)30191-9 [pii] LID - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.09.007 [doi] AB - To study pathogenic stress-effects in health and disease, it is paramount to define easy access parameters for non-invasive analysis of biological change in response to stress. Hair samples successfully provide this access for the study of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) changes. In this study, we assess the hair expression and corresponding epigenetic changes of a neurotrophin essential for autonomic nervous system function and mental health: brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In three independent studies in healthy academic volunteers (study I: German students, N=36; study II, German academic population sample, N=28; study III: Mexican students, N=115), BDNF protein expression or BDNF gene (BDNF) histone acetylation was determined. Simultaneously, mental distress and distress-associated somatic complaints were assessed by self-report. In study I, we found a negative correlation between hair-BDNF protein level and hair-cortisol as well as between hair-BDNF and somatic complaints, while hair-cortisol correlated positively with mental distress. In study II, we found a negative correlation between H4 histone acetylation at the BDNF gene P4-promoter and somatic complaints. Regression analysis confirmed confounder stability of associations in both studies. In study III, we confirmed study I and found lower hair-BDNF protein level in volunteers with high somatic complaints, who also reported higher mental distress during the end of term exams. The results indicate that BDNF protein levels can be detected in clipped hair and are associated with somatic complaints and stress in life. In addition, we concluded that plucked hair can provide material for the study of epigenetic changes in stress-affected tissues. These tools can prove valuable for future studies on distress, both under experimental and field conditions. CI - Copyright (c) 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. FAU - Harb, H AU - Harb H AD - Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps University Marburg, Research Facility at ZTI, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse 3, 35043 Marburg, Germany; International Inflammation (in-FLAME) Network, Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), Australia. Electronic address: harbh@staff.uni-marburg.de. FAU - Gonzalez-de-la-Vara, M AU - Gonzalez-de-la-Vara M AD - Department of Ethology, Wild Life and Laboratory Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Avenida Universidad 3000, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico; Psychoneuroimmunology Laboratory, Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Giessen, Aulweg 123, D-35385 Giessen, Germany. Electronic address: marcela.gonzlez@yahoo.com.mx. FAU - Thalheimer, L AU - Thalheimer L AD - Psychoneuroimmunology Laboratory, Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Giessen, Aulweg 123, D-35385 Giessen, Germany. Electronic address: Lara.Thalheimer@web.de. FAU - Klein, U AU - Klein U AD - Psychoneuroimmunology Laboratory, Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Giessen, Aulweg 123, D-35385 Giessen, Germany. Electronic address: undine-klein@web.de. FAU - Renz, H AU - Renz H AD - Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps University Marburg, Research Facility at ZTI, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse 3, 35043 Marburg, Germany; International Inflammation (in-FLAME) Network, Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), Australia. Electronic address: harald.renz@uk-gm.de. FAU - Rose, M AU - Rose M AD - Charite Center 12 Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Division for General Internal Medicine, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Psycho-Neuro-Immunology Skin Research Group, Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Charite Platz 1, D-19115 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: matthias.rose@charite.de. FAU - Kruse, J AU - Kruse J AD - Department of Ethology, Wild Life and Laboratory Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Avenida Universidad 3000, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico. Electronic address: johannes.kruse@psycho.med.uni-giessen.de. FAU - Potaczek, D P AU - Potaczek DP AD - Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps University Marburg, Research Facility at ZTI, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse 3, 35043 Marburg, Germany; International Inflammation (in-FLAME) Network, Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), Australia. Electronic address: potaczek@staff.uni-marburg.de. FAU - Peters, E M J AU - Peters EMJ AD - Psychoneuroimmunology Laboratory, Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Giessen, Aulweg 123, D-35385 Giessen, Germany; Charite Center 12 Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Division for General Internal Medicine, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Psycho-Neuro-Immunology Skin Research Group, Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Charite Platz 1, D-19115 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: eva.peters@eva-peters.com. LA - eng PT - Journal Article DEP - 20170908 PL - England TA - Psychoneuroendocrinology JT - Psychoneuroendocrinology JID - 7612148 RN - 0 (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) RN - 0 (Histones) RN - WI4X0X7BPJ (Hydrocortisone) SB - IM MH - Acetylation MH - Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/*analysis/genetics/metabolism MH - Epigenesis, Genetic MH - Female MH - Hair/chemistry/metabolism MH - Hippocampus/metabolism MH - Histones/metabolism MH - Humans MH - Hydrocortisone/metabolism MH - Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/metabolism MH - Male MH - Nociceptive Pain MH - Pilot Projects MH - Pituitary-Adrenal System/metabolism MH - Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics MH - Stress, Physiological/*physiology OTO - NOTNLM OT - Stress OT - brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) OT - epigenetic OT - hair OT - histone acetylation OT - psychoneuroimmunology EDAT- 2017/09/29 06:00 MHDA- 2018/07/10 06:00 CRDT- 2017/09/29 06:00 PHST- 2017/02/24 00:00 [received] PHST- 2017/08/01 00:00 [revised] PHST- 2017/09/06 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2017/09/29 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2018/07/10 06:00 [medline] PHST- 2017/09/29 06:00 [entrez] AID - S0306-4530(17)30191-9 [pii] AID - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.09.007 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2017 Dec;86:134-143. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.09.007. Epub 2017 Sep 8.