01958nas a2200397   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001000055653000900065653001500074653003800089653002500127653003000152653001100182653001100193653002300204653001200227653000900239653001600248100001300264700001700277700001400294700001100308700001500319700001300334700001300347700001400360700001600374700001600390245011500406856004600521300001000567490000700577520096200584022001401546       2011                            d  c2011 Feb10aAdult10aAged10aBiomarkers10aBrain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor10aCase-Control Studies10aDrug Therapy, Combination10aFemale10aHumans10aLeprostatic Agents10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged1 aCosta RD1 aMendonça VA1 aPenido RA1 aLyon S1 aCosta AMDD1 aCosta MD1 aTerra FS1 aBretas TL1 aAntunes CMF1 aTeixeira AL00aStudy of the profile of the neurotrophin BDNF in new leprosy cases before, during and after multidrug therapy.  uhttp://www.scielo.br/pdf/anp/v69n1/19.pdf  a100-40 v693 a<p>Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin involved in the survival of neurons and growth and differentiation of dendrites and axons. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate plasma levels of BDNF of leprosy patients at different stages of multidrug therapy (MDT) in comparison with non-infected individuals. Plasma levels of BDNF were measured by ELISA in 30 healthy controls and 37 leprosy patients at diagnosis, during and after MDT. Plasma levels of BDNF tended to be higher in control subjects in comparison with leprosy patients, but this difference does not reach statistical significance. Interestingly, BDNF levels changed following MDT, achieving statistical difference only at the 2(nd) dose of MDT. These results indicate that BDNF may not be a surrogate marker of leprosy infection and/or related neuropathy. Further research is needed to investigate the meaning of BDNF level changes following leprosy treatment.</p>  a1678-4227