New avenues could be opened up for post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)treatment following a finding that it could be an effect of alteration of genes.
New avenues could be opened up for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment following a finding that it could be an effect of alteration of genes.
Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health say that traumatic experiences "biologically embed" themselves in select genes, altering their functions and leading to the development of the disorder."Our findings suggest a new biological model of PTSD in which alteration of genes, induced by a traumatic event, changes a person's stress response and leads to the disorder," said Sandro Galea, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health, and principal investigator.
"Identification of the biologic underpinnings of PTSD will be crucial for developing appropriate psychological and/or pharmacological interventions, particularly in the wake of an increasing number of military veterans returning home following recent wars worldwide."
The findings are published today online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Previous studies have found that lifetime experiences may alter the activity of specific genes by changing their methylation patterns. Methylated genes are generally inactive, while unmethylated genes are generally active.
The new study is the first large scale investigation to search for trauma-induced changes in the genes of people with PTSD. DNA samples were obtained from participants in the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study (DNHS), a longitudinal epidemiologic study investigating PTSD and other mental disorders in the city of Detroit. The researchers analyzed the methylation patterns of over 14,000 genes from blood samples taken from 100 Detroit residents, 23 of whom suffer from PTSD.
Advertisement
The observed methylation changes in the immune system genes were reflected in the PTSD participants' immune systems: levels of antibodies to a herpes virus were high in PTSD patients, indicative of a compromised immune system.
Advertisement
"Our findings show that PTSD may be associated with epigenetic changes in immune-system genes. If this is the case, these clusters could provide clues to our understanding of how a traumatic event changes gene expression, thus altering immune function and resulting in other possible physiologic alterations," says Dr. Galea.
Source-Medindia
GPL