Serum Level of GDNF is Associated with Adherence to Methadone Maintenance Treatment

Preclinical studies have shown that neurotrophic factors, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), are involved in the modulation of biochemical and behavioral adaptations to substance use.

We studied the impact of GDNF and BDNF serum levels on adherence to methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) through cross-sectional research. Participants were clients on MMT (43 males), subjects in remission from opioid use disorder (12 males), and healthy controls (20 males). Adherence and non-adherence to treatment were assessed by the detection of illicit opioids in random urinalysis.

Using t-tests for independent groups and analysis of variance (ANOVA), GDNF serum levels in the adherent patients toMMT were found to be significantly higher than in the non-adherent patients. BDNF serum levels were not different between adherent and non-adherent patients.

Our results suggest the involvement of GDNF as a biological factor in adherence to MMT.