Background:
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is a promising candidate biomarker in both the development and aetiology of different neuropsychiatric conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Most of the studies in the field have been carried out in blood cells, including peripheral blood mononucleated cells (PBMCs), although DNA of high quality can be easily isolated from saliva.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to evaluate the epigenetic regulation of the BDNF gene in the saliva of a clinical sample of OCD patients in order to assess this source as an alternative to blood.
Methods:
We first analyzed DNA methylation levels at BDNF in the saliva of subjects suffering from OCD (n= 50) and healthy controls (n=50). Then, we compared these data with the results previously obtained for the same genomic region in blood samples from the same patients and controls (CTRL).
Results:
Our preliminary data showed a significant reduction of 5mC levels at BDNF gene (OCD: 1.23 ± 0.45; CTRL:
1.85 ± 0.64; p < 0.0001) and a significant correlation between DNA methylation in PBMCs and saliva (Spearman r = 0.2788).
Conclusion:
We support the perspective that saliva could be a possible, reliable source, and a substitute for blood, in search of epigenetic biomarkers in OCD.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.