Endometriosis Knowledgebase


A repository for genes associated with endometriosis

Results


PMID 22447624
Gene Name BDNF
Condition Endometriosis
Association Associated
Mutation Val66Met
Population size 669
Population details 669 (425 endometriosis patients, 244 controls)
Sex Female
Infertility type Female infertility
Other associated phenotypes Endometriosis-related infertility
BDNF Val66Met polymorphism is associated with Stage III-IV endometriosis and poor in vitro fertilization outcome.

Hum Reprod. 2012 Jun;27(6):1668-75. doi: 10.1093/humrep/des094. Epub 2012 Mar 23.

Zhang, Q Y| Guan, Q| Wang, Y| Feng, X| Sun, W| Kong, F Y| Wen, J| Cui, W| Yu, Y| Chen, Z Y

Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.

BACKGROUND The recently identified human brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism was found to be associated with altered susceptibility to some neuropsychiatric disorders. Interestingly, BDNF together with its receptors TrkB and p75 are extensively expressed in female reproduction system. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism plays a role in endometriosis, endometriosis-related infertility and the outcomes of IVF and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). METHODS A case-control study included 425 endometriosis patients and 244 control Chinese Han women. The genotyping of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism was performed by the fluorescence resonance energy transfer method. The plasma and follicular fluid concentrations of BDNF on the day of oocyte retrieval were measured by ELISA. The general clinical data from the endometriosis-related and tubal obstructed infertile patients treated with IVF-ET were analyzed. RESULTS There was no association between the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and overall endometriosis (P> 0.05), whereas higher genotype and allele frequencies of the BDNF(Met) polymorphism were found in the Stage III-IV endometriosis (both P< 0.01) and endometriosis-related infertile patients (both P< 0.05). Moreover, during IVF and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) treatment, fewer mature oocytes (P< 0.05) and lower fertilization rate (P< 0.01) were found in BDNF(Met/Met) carriers compared with those in BDNF(Val/Val) carriers with infertility. Follicular-fluid BDNF concentration in BDNF(Met/Met) carriers was lower compared with that in BDNF(Val/Val) individuals (P< 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the BDNF(Met) single-nucleotide polymorphism might contribute to the increased susceptibility to the Stage III-IV endometriosis and endometriosis-related infertility. Moreover, infertile patients with the BDNF(Met/Met) genotype had a poorer IVF outcome compared with the BDNF(Val/Val) genotype individuals, which might in part be due to the decreased BDNF levels in follicular fluids after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation.

Mesh Terms: Adult| Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/analysis/blood/*genetics| Case-Control Studies| China| Embryo Transfer| Endometriosis/complications/*genetics/pathology| Female| *Fertilization in Vitro| Follicular Fluid/chemistry| Gene Frequency| Geneti