Serum BDNF, VEGF, and EGF Levels in Pregnant Women with Anxiety and Depression
4 affiliations
- 1Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Mexico City 11000, Mexico
- 2Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría, Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Av. Xochimilco #101. Col. San Lorenzo, Huipulco, Tlalpan, Mexico City 14370, Mexico
- 3Hospital General de México, Eduardo Liceaga, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
- 4Unidad de Investigación en Reproducción Humana, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología-Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
Abstract
Antenatal anxiety and depression frequently co-occur, negatively affecting maternal and offspring outcomes, yet their biological correlates remain insufficiently characterized. This cross-sectional study examined associations between anxiety and depressive symptoms and serum concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and epidermal growth factor (EGF), proteins implicated in pregnancy-related vascular adaptations whose dysregulation has been associated with placental dysfunction and negative perinatal outcomes. A total of 148 women with uncomplicated second- and third-trimester pregnancies were assessed using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Serum BDNF levels were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, whereas VEGF and EGF were measured using a multiplex bead-based immunoassay during late pregnancy. Based on scale scores, participants were classified as controls, women with anxiety without depressive symptoms, or women with anxiety and depressive symptoms. In the between-group comparisons, women with clinically significant anxiety exhibited higher BDNF and EGF levels than controls. Regression analyses indicated that anxiety severity was positively associated with BDNF, VEGF, and EGF levels (all p < 0.05), whereas depressive symptom severity was negatively associated with BDNF levels (p < 0.05). These findings suggest distinct associations of antenatal anxiety and depressive symptoms with circulating growth factors, particularly BDNF, and warrant further investigation of vascular–immune–neurotrophic pathways potentially involved in perinatal mental health.
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BibTeX
@article{leffgelman2026serum,
title = {{Serum BDNF, VEGF, and EGF Levels in Pregnant Women with Anxiety and Depression}},
author = {Philippe Leff-Gelman and Ismael Mancilla-Herrera and Amado Pérez-Molina and Mónica Flores-Ramos and Blanca Farfan-Labonne and Fausto Manuel Cruz-Coronel and María del Pilar Meza-Rodríguez and Ignacio Camacho-Arroyo and Carlos S. Cruz-Fuentes},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27198885},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/19/8885},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Serum BDNF, VEGF, and EGF Levels in Pregnant Women with Anxiety and Depression
AU - Philippe Leff-Gelman
AU - Ismael Mancilla-Herrera
AU - Amado Pérez-Molina
AU - Mónica Flores-Ramos
AU - Blanca Farfan-Labonne
AU - Fausto Manuel Cruz-Coronel
AU - María del Pilar Meza-Rodríguez
AU - Ignacio Camacho-Arroyo
AU - Carlos S. Cruz-Fuentes
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/06
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27198885
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/19/8885
AB - Antenatal anxiety and depression frequently co-occur, negatively affecting maternal and offspring outcomes, yet their biological correlates remain insufficiently characterized. This cross-sectional study examined associations between anxiety and depressive symptoms and serum concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and epidermal growth factor (EGF), proteins implicated in pregnancy-related vascular adaptations whose dysregulation has been associated with placental dysfunction and negative perinatal outcomes. A total of 148 women with uncomplicated second- and third-trimester pregnancies were assessed using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Serum BDNF levels were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, whereas VEGF and EGF were measured using a multiplex bead-based immunoassay during late pregnancy. Based on scale scores, participants were classified as controls, women with anxiety without depressive symptoms, or women with anxiety and depressive symptoms. In the between-group comparisons, women with clinically significant anxiety exhibited higher BDNF and EGF levels than controls. Regression analyses indicated that anxiety severity was positively associated with BDNF, VEGF, and EGF levels (all p < 0.05), whereas depressive symptom severity was negatively associated with BDNF levels (p < 0.05). These findings suggest distinct associations of antenatal anxiety and depressive symptoms with circulating growth factors, particularly BDNF, and warrant further investigation of vascular–immune–neurotrophic pathways potentially involved in perinatal mental health.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -