Lipid profile in Parkinson's disease: The potential role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor

BackgroundParkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease manifested as increased tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity, and postural instability. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is essential for neurocognitive function. However, its cardiometabolic effect has recently been identified in health and disease, but not in PD. Therefore, the current study examined the relationship of BDNF with glucose and lipid profile. MethodsThis was a cross sectional comparative study where PD patients (n = 26) and age-matched healthy controls (n = 27) were recruited. Blood samples were drawn to determine BDNF, glucose, and lipid profile including total cholesterol (TC), HDL, LDL, triglyceride (TriG). ResultThe linear regression showed that BDNF predicted 11.9 % of TC (p = 0.05), 3.0 % of HDL (p = 0.003), 27.3 % of LDL (p = 0.006), 16.6 % of TriG (p = 0.04), 15.8 % of TC/HDL (p = 0.06), 22.1 % of TC/LDL (p = 0.01), and 35.1 % of TriG/HDL (p = 0.001) but not glucose (B = -0.006; CI = -0.19/0.18; F = 0.005; p = 0.9) and LDL/HDL (B = 0.06; CI = -0.17/0.3; F = 0.3; p = 0.6). Subsequent ANCOVA revealed differences (p < 0.05) in TC, HDL, LDL, TC/LDL, and TriG/HDL but not in glucose, TriG, and TC/HDL among the patients with low-BDNF versus high-BDNF. SignificanceThe results demonstrate a relationship of BDNF with lipid profile suggesting the importance of BDNF for lipid metabolism in PD.The research project was supported by the Deanship of Research with grant number: MA20200481. The authors would like to thank the participants for volunteering in the study. Open Access funding was provided by the Qatar National Library