{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T13:51:46Z","timestamp":1790949106117,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"15","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,24]],"date-time":"2025-07-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1753315200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Medical University of Bia\u0142ystok","award":["N\/ST\/ZB\/16\/007\/1127"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N\/ST\/ZB\/16\/007\/1127"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background and Aims: Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic autoimmune liver disease frequently associated with fatigue and mild cognitive impairment. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays key roles in neuroplasticity, immune regulation, and metabolism. This study aimed to evaluate plasma BDNF levels in early-stage PBC and examine their clinical and biochemical associations. Methods: In this observational study, plasma BDNF, IL-6, and IL-18 concentrations were measured by ELISA in 45 patients with early-stage PBC and 31 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (mean age 60.5 years; 96% women). All participants underwent liver elastography using point shear wave elastography (ElastPQ), Doppler ultrasound, laboratory testing, and assessment of cognitive function (PHES) and fatigue severity (MFIS). Non-invasive fibrosis scores (APRI, FIB-4) were calculated. Results: Median plasma BDNF concentrations were significantly higher in PBC patients than in controls [median: 21.04 ng\/mL (IQR: 10.68\u201338.07) vs. 5.80 ng\/mL (IQR: 4.58\u20137.54); p &lt; 0.0001]. In PBC patients, higher BDNF levels correlated inversely with liver stiffness measured by ElastPQ (R = \u22120.39, p = 0.0258), spleen dimensions, splenic vein flow volume (R = \u22120.49, p = 0.0018), suggesting an association with milder liver fibrosis and early hemodynamic alterations. A trend toward association between BDNF and IL-6 levels was observed in multivariate analysis. No significant associations were found between BDNF concentrations and markers of hepatocellular injury, cognitive performance, or fatigue severity. Conclusions: Plasma BDNF concentrations are elevated in early-stage PBC and inversely correlate with liver fibrosis severity. No significant associations were found with hepatocellular injury, cognitive function, or fatigue. These findings suggest that BDNF may play a protective role against hepatic fibrogenesis, or alternatively, that BDNF concentrations may decline with advancing liver disease. Further studies are needed to clarify its significance in PBC.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms26157142","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,24]],"date-time":"2025-07-24T14:11:44Z","timestamp":1753366304000},"page":"7142","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Elevated Plasma BDNF in Early Primary Biliary Cholangitis: Associations with Liver Fibrosis, IL-6, IL-18, Fatigue, and Cognitive Impairment"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"given":"Magdalena","family":"Rogalska","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Bia\u0142ystok, 15-089 Bia\u0142ystok, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6747-2123","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"S\u0142awomir","family":"\u0141awicki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Population Medicine and Lifestyle Diseases Prevention, Medical University of Bia\u0142ystok, 15-089 Bia\u0142ystok, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Agnieszka","family":"B\u0142achnio-Zabielska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hygiene, Epidemiology and Metabolic Disorders Department, Medical University of Bia\u0142ystok, 15-089 Bia\u0142ystok, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4901-5217","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Piotr","family":"Zabielski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Biology, Medical University of Bia\u0142ystok, 15-089 Bia\u0142ystok, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kamila","family":"Roszczyc-Owsiejczuk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hygiene, Epidemiology and Metabolic Disorders Department, Medical University of Bia\u0142ystok, 15-089 Bia\u0142ystok, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8448-3158","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jacek","family":"Janica","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Paediatric Radiology, Medical University of Bia\u0142ystok, 15-089 Bia\u0142ystok, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9034-9238","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dagmara","family":"Bogdanowska-Charkiewicz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Bia\u0142ystok, 15-089 Bia\u0142ystok, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aleksandra","family":"Andrzejuk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Bia\u0142ystok, 15-089 Bia\u0142ystok, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrzej","family":"D\u0105browski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Bia\u0142ystok, 15-089 Bia\u0142ystok, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3394-1635","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Robert","family":"Flisiak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Bia\u0142ystok, 15-089 Bia\u0142ystok, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1884-2500","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pawe\u0142","family":"Rogalski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Bia\u0142ystok, 15-089 Bia\u0142ystok, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1261","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMra043898","article-title":"Primary biliary cirrhosis","volume":"353","author":"Kaplan","year":"2005","journal-title":"N. 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