| Objective:The aim of this study is to explore the roles of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and association between them in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and carotid atherosclerosis by investigating the serum and mRNA expression levels of BDNF and TNF-a.Methods:The study included 100 T2DM patients and 50 healthy controls. According to film thickness of the carotid artery examined by the the color doppler ultrasound, the T2DM patients were divided into carotid atherosclerosis group (n=52) and non-carotid atherosclerosis group (n=48). We collected information on blood lipids, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin function, glycosylated hemoglobin Alc, carotid intima-media thickness from the three groups. The serum levels of BDNF and TNF-a were detected by ELISA, the mRNA expression levels of BDNF in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were detected by RT-PCR. The mean differences among the three groups were compared using ANOVA, the mean differences between the two groups were compared using independent samples t test. The correlation of serum BDNF and TNF-a in patients with T2DM and carotid atherosclerosis was analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis.Results:Both the serum level and mRNA expression of BDNF are significantly lower in T2DM with carotid atherosclerosis rather than T2DM without carotid atherosclerosis and control group (P<0.05). We also notice that those T2DM with carotid atherosclerosis patients have a higher TNF-a level in serum than T2DM without carotid atherosclerosis and control group (P<0.05). We find that there is a correlation between Serum BDNF level and TNF-a levels in T2DM with carotid atherosclerosis patients (r=-0.378, P<0.05).Conclusion:There was correlation between the serum levels of the TNF-a and BDNF. Both BDNF and TNF-a may participate in the occurrence and development of type 2 diabetic carotid atherosclerosis. |
