Serum BDNF and IL-1β, but not ApoE levels, may be associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder: A case-control study

Background Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder associated with dysregulation of neurotrophic, inflammatory, and metabolic pathways. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and apolipoprotein E (ApoE) have been implicated in neuroplasticity, immune activation, and lipid-related neuronal function, respectively. However, evidence regarding these biomarkers in OCD remains limited, particularly in Bangladeshi populations. In this study the objective is to investigate BDNF, IL-1β, and ApoE serum levels in Bangladeshi OCD patients and healthy individuals and to examine their associations with symptom severity. Methods This study was comprised of 104 patients with OCD and 104 healthy controls. Sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected. OCD symptom severity was assessed using the Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale (Y-BOCS). BDNF, IL-1β, and ApoE serum levels were measured and analyzed across groups. Spearman’s correlation analysis was utilized to assess relationships among clinical and biomarker variables. The receiver operating characteristic curve was analyzed to evaluate the variations of performances of significant biomarkers. Results We observed OCD patients with significantly higher Y-BOCS scores than healthy controls (21.16 ± 7.59 vs. 4.79 ± 2.18, p < 0.001). Serum BDNF levels were significantly elevated in OCD patients compared with controls (43.27 ± 38.28 vs. 25.94 ± 22.56 ng/mL, p < 0.001), as were serum IL-1β levels (10.73 ± 4.65 vs. 5.60 ± 3.97 pg/mL, p < 0.001). Serum ApoE levels did not differ notably across groups (p = 0.860). Among OCD patients, Y-BOCS scores were positively correlated with BDNF and IL-1β levels, and BDNF was positively correlated with IL-1β. ROC analysis showed fair discriminatory ability for BDNF and good discriminatory ability for IL-1β. Conclusion Elevated serum BDNF and IL-1β levels may be associated with the pathophysiology and development of OCD. The present study urges evaluation of these findings for their potential to be used as predictive markers of OCD.