Evaluation of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in preterm and term neonates and its association with hyperbilirubinemia

Background: Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is the most common cause of hospital admission in the first month of life. Maternal, neonatal, and prenatal factors affect the severity of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. It has been reported that with increase in bilirubin levels, there is a risk of neuronal cell damage. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a neurotropic factor produced in the brain, is an important tool to assess the neuronal activity in the neonates. Aim and Objectives: This study aims at evaluating serum BDNF and bilirubin levels among neonates with clinically diagnosed preterm hyperbilirubinemia, term hyperbilirubinemia and full term normal healthy neonates and correlating serum BDNF levels with serum total bilirubin levels in these group of neonates. Material and Methods:This is a cross-sectional study, which was done in left over blood samples from hyperbilirubinemic neonates in clinical biochemistry laboratory, Kasturba Medical College Hospital, over a period of 4 months.Total number of 90 subjects were included in the study. Normal healthy full-term neonates (gestational age ≥ 38 weeks; Group I), pre-term neonates (gestational age ≥ 31-37 weeks; Group II) with clinically diagnosed hyperbilirubinemia and term neonates (gestational age ≥ 38 weeks; Group III) with clinically diagnosed hyperbilirubinemia were included. Results: The current study showed significant decrease in serum levels of BDNF in preterm and term neonates with hyperbilirubinemia when compared to control (p<0.05). There was a negative correlation of serum BDNF levels with bilirubin levels across all groups. Conclusion: This study may be useful in performing neurological risk assessment in full term and preterm neonates with hyperbilirubinemia which may aid in clinical decision making.