Decreased S100B serum levels after treatment in bipolar patients in a manic phase

Background Previous studies have suggested that patients with bipolar disorder might have brain damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the serum levels of brain injury biomarkers and S100A10 in bipolar patients in a manic phase, and evaluate the changes in S100B, neuron specific enolase (NSE), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and S100A10 after treatment. Method We consecutively enrolled 17 bipolar inpatients in a manic phase and 30 healthy subjects. Serum brain injury biomarkers and S100A10 were measured with assay kits. All patients were evaluated by examining the correlation between brain injury biomarkers and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) scores. Result We found significantly decreased S100B levels only in bipolar manic patients after treatment (p = 0.002), but S100B levels were not significantly different from those in healthy controls (p > 0.05). Conclusion Our results indicate there were decreased S100B serum levels in bipolar patients in a manic phase after treatment and that increased serum S100B levels might be a possible indicator of transient disruption of the blood–brain barrier in bipolar patients in a manic phase.