Possible role of nerve growth factor in the pathogenesis of alcohol dependence.

Recent studies have raised the possibility that nerve growth factor (NGF) is abnormally regulated in the central nervous system (CNS) of animal models of chronic ethanol treatment. The goals of this study were to determine whether prolonged alcohol consumption is associated with the plasma NGF levels and to assess the effect of a positive family history of alcohol dependence on plasma NGF levels in the alcohol-dependent patients. We used the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the concentrations of peripheral NGF in patients with alcohol dependence and in a control group. The plasma NGF concentrations in the alcohol-dependent patients were significantly lower than in the controls (71.9 vs 110.5 pg/mL, respectively). Moreover, the alcohol-dependent patients with positive family histories showed a greater decrease in their NGF levels than those subjects with negative family histories (64.7 vs 83.3 pg/mL, respectively). Our study suggests that the NGF levels may be a trait marker for the development of alcohol dependence.