ArticleBrain and behavior2023
Association between salivary mature brain-derived neurotrophic factor and psychological distress in healthcare workers.
Article in Brain and behavior, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Changes in salivary brain-derived neurotrophic factor following a standardized eating task in community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study.Odontology · 2026Article
- A highly sensitive enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assay allows accurate measurements of brain‑derived neurotrophic factor levels in human saliva.F1000Research · 2025Article
- Salivary Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Cortisol Associated with Psychological Alterations in University Students.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Association between salivary mature brain-derived neurotrophic factor and psychological distress in healthcare workers.Brain and behavior · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionPrevious studies have suggested association between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the stress level of workers. However, no studies have investigated the potential of salivary mature BDNF (mBDNF) level as a noninvasive biomarker for psychological distress. This study aimed to explore the reliability of salivary mBDNF as a biomarker for psychological distress in healthcare workers. Furthermore, we examined the relationship between salivary and plasma mBDNF levels and their correlation with age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and exercise habits.
methodsFifty-one healthy healthcare workers (26 men) from the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, participated in this study. In this cross-sectional study, participants provided demographic information. Psychological distress was assessed using the Kessler 6 (K6). Saliva and blood samples were collected, and mBDNF was measured by ELISA. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was performed to analyze the relationship between mBDNF (saliva and plasma) and K6. Statistical analyses were conducted using Stata 17.0, and a significance level of p < .05 was applied.
resultsThe median K6 score was 1 (interquartile range [IQR]: 0-3). The median (IQR) salivary mBDNF was 1.36 (1.12-1.96) pg/mL, whereas the mean (standard deviation) plasma mBDNF was 1261.11 (242.98) pg/mL. No correlation was observed between salivary and plasma mBDNF concentrations or with the K6 score. Additionally, there were no associations between salivary or plasma mBDNF concentrations and age, sex, or exercise habits. Finally, an association between plasma mBDNF concentration and BMI was found only in univariate analysis.
conclusionOur findings indicate that salivary mBDNF can be accurately measured noninvasively in healthcare workers. Within our study sample, salivary mBDNF did not demonstrate any correlation with K6 and plasma mBDNF. Future studies with a larger study sample and a diverse study population consisting of healthy participants and patients with psychiatric disorders are warranted.
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