PMID- 30134233 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20181211 LR - 20181211 IS - 1421-9891 (Electronic) IS - 1022-6877 (Linking) VI - 24 IP - 4 DP - 2018 TI - Increased Risk-Taking Behaviour and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Val66Met Polymorphism Correlates to Decreased Serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Level in Heroin Users. PG - 189-200 LID - 10.1159/000492582 [doi] AB - BACKGROUND: This study has examined the relationships and interactions between serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and self-reported risk-taking behaviour in individuals with a history of heroin use undergoing outpatient treatment in comparison to healthy individuals. METHODS: We enrolled 167 heroin users and 86 healthy subjects and examined serum BDNF levels, Val66Met polymorphism, and personal characteristics using Connor Davidson Resilience Scale, Risk-taking (RT) propensity questionnaire, and Personality Assessment Inventory. RESULTS: Heroin users had significantly higher serum BDNF levels than controls. In addition, serum BDNF levels were significantly higher in Val/Val carriers than in Met/Val or Met/Met in all recruited subjects. Furthermore, a stepwise multiple regression analysis of serum BDNF levels as a dependent variable with related factors showed that in heroin users, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test score, anxiety and RT score were found as independent contributors to serum BDNF levels. When performing gene-environment interaction it was additionally found that heroin users with self-reported high risk-taking behaviour had significantly lower levels of serum BDNF among heroin users with the Met allele. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that genetic variant Met66 decreased the serum BDNF levels in combination with self-reported risk-taking propensity among heroin users. If results of future work confirm the influence of this combined effect between neurotrophic genotype and risk-taking behaviour, 66Met carriers might require higher levels of intervention to overcome their drug use pattern and risky behaviour. CI - (c) 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel. FAU - Rovis, Darko AU - Rovis D AD - University of Rijeka, Faculty of Medicine, Rijeka, Croatia. FAU - Cernelic Bizjak, Masa AU - Cernelic Bizjak M AD - University of Primorska, Faculty of Health Sciences, Izola, Slovenia. FAU - Vasiljev Marchesi, Vanja AU - Vasiljev Marchesi V AD - University of Rijeka, Faculty of Medicine, Rijeka, Croatia. FAU - Petelin, Ana AU - Petelin A AD - University of Primorska, Faculty of Health Sciences, Izola, Slovenia. FAU - Jenus, Tina AU - Jenus T AD - University of Rijeka, Faculty of Medicine, Rijeka, Croatia. FAU - Vidic, Suzana AU - Vidic S AD - University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia. FAU - Drevensek, Gorazd AU - Drevensek G AD - University of Primorska, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, Koper, Slovenia. AD - University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pharmacology and Experimental Toxicology, Ljubljana, Slovenia. FAU - Jenko Praznikar, Zala AU - Jenko Praznikar Z AD - University of Primorska, Faculty of Health Sciences, Izola, Slovenia. LA - eng PT - Journal Article DEP - 20180822 PL - Switzerland TA - Eur Addict Res JT - European addiction research JID - 9502920 RN - 0 (Biomarkers) RN - 0 (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) RN - 7171WSG8A2 (BDNF protein, human) RN - AE28F7PNPL (Methionine) RN - HG18B9YRS7 (Valine) SB - IM MH - Adult MH - Biomarkers/blood MH - Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/*blood MH - Female MH - Heroin Dependence/*blood/*genetics MH - Humans MH - Male MH - Methionine/*genetics MH - Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/*genetics MH - *Risk-Taking MH - Valine/*genetics MH - Young Adult OTO - NOTNLM OT - Brain-derived neurotrophic factor OT - Heroin users OT - Risk-taking behavior OT - Val66Met polymorphism EDAT- 2018/08/23 06:00 MHDA- 2018/12/12 06:00 CRDT- 2018/08/23 06:00 PHST- 2018/01/24 00:00 [received] PHST- 2018/07/31 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2018/08/23 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2018/12/12 06:00 [medline] PHST- 2018/08/23 06:00 [entrez] AID - 000492582 [pii] AID - 10.1159/000492582 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - Eur Addict Res. 2018;24(4):189-200. doi: 10.1159/000492582. Epub 2018 Aug 22.