Short communication: No association between the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene Val66Met polymorphism and post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic anxiety disorder that follows exposure to traumatic events. The etiology of PTSD is unknown, although exposure to a traumatic event constitutes a necessary but not sufficient factor. Recent studies have demonstrated that the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is related to stress-related psychiatric conditions. In this study, therefore, the genotype and allele frequencies of the BDNF gene Val66Met polymorphism were analyzed in 106 PTSD patients and 161 unrelated healthy controls using a case-control design. The genotype and allele frequencies for the BDNF gene polymorphism did not differ between the two groups. These findings suggest that the BDNF polymorphism investigated herein does not play a major role in the susceptibility to PTSD at least in the Korean population. Further studies designed to explore the relationship between genetic variations of BDNF and the incidence of PTSD in a larger population may be warranted.