Increased pro-inflammatory milieu in combat related PTSD - A new cohort replication study
(2017) In Brain Behavior and Immunity 59. p.260-264- Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Several lines of evidence indicate that increased inflammation is associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We have previously reported that peripheral inflammatory markers are significantly higher in combat-exposed veterans with than without PTSD. This study was designed to replicate these findings in a new study cohort using the same population and recruitment strategies.
METHODS: Sixty-one male war veterans (31 PTSD and 30 control subjects) were included in this replication study. Levels of Interleukin-6, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, Gamma interferon, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were quantified in blood samples. A standardized "total pro-inflammatory score" was calculated to limit the... (More)
INTRODUCTION: Several lines of evidence indicate that increased inflammation is associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We have previously reported that peripheral inflammatory markers are significantly higher in combat-exposed veterans with than without PTSD. This study was designed to replicate these findings in a new study cohort using the same population and recruitment strategies.
METHODS: Sixty-one male war veterans (31 PTSD and 30 control subjects) were included in this replication study. Levels of Interleukin-6, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, Gamma interferon, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were quantified in blood samples. A standardized "total pro-inflammatory score" was calculated to limit the number of statistical comparisons. The Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) rating scale was used to assess PTSD symptom severity.
RESULTS: PTSD subjects had significantly higher total pro-inflammatory scores compared to non-PTSD subjects in unadjusted analysis (Cohen's d=0.75, p=0.005) as well as after adjusting for potentially confounding effects of age, BMI, smoking, and potentially interfering medications and somatic co-morbidities (p=0.023). There were no significant correlations between inflammatory markers and severity of symptoms within the PTSD group.
CONCLUSIONS: We replicated, in a new sample, our previous finding of increased inflammatory markers in combat-exposed PTSD subjects compared to combat-exposed non-PTSD controls. These findings strongly add to the growing literature suggesting that immune activation may be an important aspect of PTSD pathophysiology, although not directly correlated with current PTSD symptom levels in the PTSD group.
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- author
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- publishing date
- 2017-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Brain Behavior and Immunity
- volume
- 59
- pages
- 5 pages
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:27638184
- scopus:84991783906
- wos:000390618700025
- ISSN
- 1090-2139
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.09.012
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 9043b56b-44a0-43be-982a-270a2f25df89
- date added to LUP
- 2016-12-23 11:09:04
- date last changed
- 2024-11-16 14:06:07
@article{9043b56b-44a0-43be-982a-270a2f25df89,
abstract = {{<p>INTRODUCTION: Several lines of evidence indicate that increased inflammation is associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We have previously reported that peripheral inflammatory markers are significantly higher in combat-exposed veterans with than without PTSD. This study was designed to replicate these findings in a new study cohort using the same population and recruitment strategies.</p><p>METHODS: Sixty-one male war veterans (31 PTSD and 30 control subjects) were included in this replication study. Levels of Interleukin-6, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, Gamma interferon, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were quantified in blood samples. A standardized "total pro-inflammatory score" was calculated to limit the number of statistical comparisons. The Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) rating scale was used to assess PTSD symptom severity.</p><p>RESULTS: PTSD subjects had significantly higher total pro-inflammatory scores compared to non-PTSD subjects in unadjusted analysis (Cohen's d=0.75, p=0.005) as well as after adjusting for potentially confounding effects of age, BMI, smoking, and potentially interfering medications and somatic co-morbidities (p=0.023). There were no significant correlations between inflammatory markers and severity of symptoms within the PTSD group.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: We replicated, in a new sample, our previous finding of increased inflammatory markers in combat-exposed PTSD subjects compared to combat-exposed non-PTSD controls. These findings strongly add to the growing literature suggesting that immune activation may be an important aspect of PTSD pathophysiology, although not directly correlated with current PTSD symptom levels in the PTSD group.</p>}},
author = {{Lindqvist, Daniel and Dhabhar, Firdaus S and Mellon, Synthia H and Yehuda, Rachel and Grenon, S Marlene and Flory, Janine D and Bierer, Linda M and Abu-Amara, Duna and Coy, Michelle and Makotkine, Iouri and Reus, Victor I and Bersani, F Saverio and Marmar, Charles R and Wolkowitz, Owen M}},
issn = {{1090-2139}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{260--264}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Brain Behavior and Immunity}},
title = {{Increased pro-inflammatory milieu in combat related PTSD - A new cohort replication study}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2016.09.012}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.bbi.2016.09.012}},
volume = {{59}},
year = {{2017}},
}