Measurement of neurotrophic factors in the serum

Peripheral blood samples were collected from patients prior to the procedure, and at 3 and 7 days after transplantation. The blood samples were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the determination of the serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF; EK-{"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"H11287","term_id":"876107","term_text":"H11287"}}H11287) and nerve growth factor (NGF; EK-{"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"H11487","term_id":"876307","term_text":"H11487"}}H11487), according to the manufacturer's instructions (Shanghai Westang Bio-Tech Co., Ltd.).