PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Gene networks for innate immunity linked to PTSD risk

Blood markers might be used to diagnose condition -- and predict risk

2015-03-10
(Press-News.org) Researchers at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System and University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues in New York and the United Kingdom, have identified genetic markers, derived from blood samples that are linked to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The markers are associated with gene networks that regulate innate immune function and interferon signaling.

The findings, published in the March 10 issue of the journal Molecular Psychiatry, offer novel insights into the pathophysiology of PTSD. In clinical terms, researchers say they could lead to new ways to not just improve diagnosis and treatment of persons with the mental health condition, but predict who might be more susceptible.

Previous genomic studies of PTSD have focused upon identifying differences in gene expression between persons with PTSD relative to a control group. The new study takes a broader "systems-level approach," using whole transcriptome RNA sequencing, said first author Michael S. Breen, PhD, at the University of Southampton in England.

"By comparing U.S. Marines who develop PTSD symptoms to those who do not, we can measure differences in genes, but also take into consideration the dynamic relationships between and among them, their connectivity," Breen said. "Because PTSD is thought to be such a complex disorder, measuring these dynamic relationships is crucial to better understanding the PTSD pathology."

The researchers analyzed blood samples from 188 U.S. Marines, taken before and after deployment to conflict zones. They identified modules of co-regulated genes involved in innate immune response - the body's first line of defense against pathogens - and interferon signaling, that were also associated with PTSD. Interferons are proteins released by host cells in response to the presence of pathogens and in this study are also shown to partake in the pathology PTSD.

The results were replicated with a second, completely independent group of 96 U.S. Marines.

"What's interesting is that molecular signatures of innate immunity and interferon signaling were identified both after developing PTSD as well as before developing PTSD," said Dewleen G. Baker, MD, MRS-II principal investigator, research director at the VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, and professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego.

The work, a sub-study of MRS-II, was co-led by Caroline M. Nievergelt, PhD, associate chief of the Neuroscience Unit at the VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health and assistant adjunct professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego and the late Daniel T. O'Connor MD, departments of Medicine and Pharmacology at UC San Diego.

"The question to ask is what's stimulating an interferon response prior to PTSD development," said Baker. "The answer could be any number of factors, ranging from a simple explanation of increased anticipatory stress prior to deployment or more complex scenarios where individuals may have a higher viral load. It's a question for future studies."

Experts say what makes PTSD different - and more challenging to study - than other psychiatric disorders is the presence or trigger of a traumatic event, such as serving in a combat zone.

"The odds of obtaining a sample both before and after a traumatic event are incredibly small," said co-senior author Christopher H. Woelk, PhD, reader in genomics and bioinformatics at University of Southampton and assistant adjunct professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

"Under this experimental design, not only can we identify differences between U.S. Marines with PTSD and without, but we can go back in time, so to speak, to see if any of the Marines who eventually developed PTSD contain prognostic signatures that might be indicative of eventual PTSD emergence. In this vein, we are able to start labeling findings as being putatively 'causal' in nature."

Woelk said the findings are intriguing because they follow upon recent studies that have demonstrated how changes in peripheral blood might lay the seeds for subsequent pathological changes in the brain.

"Since our causal (pre-deployment) and consequential (post-deployment) discoveries are based upon peripheral blood samples, these results suggest that identifying individuals at risk for PTSD development may be achievable through high-throughput profiling of molecular data."

The researchers say their results should encourage further investigation along two distinct avenues. First, development of a blood panel of predictive biomarkers to identify persons at greater risk of developing PTSD. Second, use of molecular information from blood samples to design targeted therapies to treat - or help prevent - PTSD.

INFORMATION:

Co-authors include Adam X. Maihofer and Sharon D. Chandler, Department of Psychiatry, UCSD; Stephen J. Glatt and Daniel S. Tylee, SUNY Upstate Medical University; Ming T. Tsuang, Department of Psychiatry, UCSD, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, Institute of Genomic Medicine and Center for Behavioral Genomics, both at UCSD; Caroline M. Nievergelt, Victoria B. Risbrough and Dewleen G. Baker, Department of Psychiatry, UCSD, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System and associated Veterans Medical Research Foundation.

Funding for this research came, in part, from the Naval Medical Research Center's Advanced Medical Development program (N62645-11-C-4037) and Demonstration Project; National Institute of Mental Health (R21-MH085240, R01-MHO85560, R01-MH085521); the Gerber Foundation, the Sidney R. Baer, Jr. Foundation and NARSAD: The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Hunting, birdwatching boosts conservation action

2015-03-10
Ithaca, NY--What inspires people to support conservation? As concerns grow about the sustainability of our modern society, this question becomes more important. A new study by researchers at Cornell University provides one simple answer: bird watching and hunting. This survey of conservation activity among rural landowners in Upstate New York considered a range of possible predictors such as gender, age, education, political ideology, and beliefs about the environment. All other factors being equal, bird watchers are about five times as likely, and hunters about four ...

Depression puts low-income population at even greater risk for obesity and poor nutrition

2015-03-10
Philadelphia, PA, March 10, 2015 - In a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, researchers from the RAND Corporation report that for people receiving food assistance there are significant links between depression, poor dietary quality, and high body mass index (BMI). They suggest that understanding the risk of depression among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants could be important to understanding the relationship among SNAP participation, diet, and weight. "This study focuses on a group that is of particular ...

Hormone replacement therapy for postmenopausal women: Does it help or harm your heart?

2015-03-10
New evidence published today in the Cochrane Library shows that hormone replacement therapy does not protect post-menopausal women against cardiovascular disease, and may even cause an increased risk of stroke. HRT, now more commonly known as hormone therapy, is widely used for controlling menopausal symptoms. It has also been used for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in post-menopausal women. This latest evidence looked at the effects of using hormone therapy for at least six months and involved more than 40,000 women across the world. The length of time women ...

MRSA can linger in homes, spreading among its inhabitants

2015-03-10
WASHINGTON, DC - March 10, 2015 - Households can serve as a reservoir for transmitting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), according to a study published this week in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. Once the bacteria enters a home, it can linger for years, spreading from person to person and evolving genetically to become unique to that household. MRSA are strains of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus that are resistant to almost all antibiotics related to penicillin, known as the beta-lactams. Since ...

Societally engaged adults see their lives as redemption stories

2015-03-09
Middle-aged Americans who show high levels of societal involvement and mental health are especially likely to construe their lives as stories of personal redemption, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Previous research has shown that adults who are inclined toward generativity - the concern for and commitment to promoting the growth and well-being of future generations - are more likely to engage in a wide range of prosocial behaviors, including positive parenting styles, political participation, ...

From brain tumors to memory: A very multifunctional protein

2015-03-09
Everything is connected, especially in the brain. A protein called BAI1, involved in limiting the growth of brain tumors, is also critical for spatial learning and memory, researchers have discovered. Mice missing BAI1 have trouble learning and remembering where they have been. Because of the loss of BAI1, their neurons have changes in how they respond to electrical stimulation and subtle alterations in parts of the cell needed for information processing. The findings may have implications for developing treatments for neurological diseases, because BAI1 is part of ...

JAMA Viewpoint: Young African-American men deserve better from health care

2015-03-09
BOSTON, MA - Healthcare spending is at an all-time high in the U.S., yet young African-American men see little benefit, according to Boston Medical Center (BMC) researchers' Viewpoint commentary published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The researchers note that black men have a life expectancy nearly five years less than white men. While heart disease and cancer contribute to this decreased life expectancy, homicide also plays a large role. From ages 1 to 14, homicide is either the second or third leading cause of death ...

T cell population altered in patients with type 2 diabetes and/or obesity

2015-03-09
As obesity rates rise, so does the incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D). In obese individuals and those with obesity-induced T2D, there is an accumulation of immune cells within adipose tissue that results in a low level of chronic inflammation. Gut microbial populations are also altered in these individuals. Weight loss, either through diet or gastric bypass, improves TD2-associated symptoms and shifts the gut microbiota. A new study in the Journal of Clinical Investigation reports that a population of T cells known as mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells is altered ...

Psychedelic drug use could reduce psychological distress, suicidal thinking

2015-03-09
Fast Facts: U.S. adults with a history of using some nonaddictive psychedelic drugs had reduced likelihood of psychological distress and suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts, according to data from a nationwide survey. While these psychedelic drugs are illegal, a Johns Hopkins researcher and study author recommends reconsidering their status, as they may be useful in treating depression. Some people have serious adverse reactions to these drugs, which may not stand out in the survey data because they are less numerous than positive outcomes. A history of ...

Tiny nanoparticles could make big impact for patients in need of cornea transplant

2015-03-09
Fast Facts: Medicine-loaded nanoparticles show promise for humans needing corneal transplants. Tiny nanoparticles may be solution for medicine compliance. Animal study gives patients, family members and clinicians hope for more easily managing medicine after eye surgery. There are about 48,000 corneal transplants done each year in the U.S., compared to approximately 16,000 kidney transplants and 2,100 heart transplants [1] [2]. Out of the 48,000 corneal transplants done, 10 percent of them end up in rejection, largely due to poor medication compliance. This ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Making a difference: Efficient water harvesting from air possible

World’s most common heart valve disease linked to insulin resistance in large national study

Study unravels another piece of the puzzle in how cancer cells may be targeted by the immune system

Long-sought structure of powerful anticancer natural product solved by integrated approach

World’s oldest lizard wins fossil fight

Simple secret to living a longer life

Same plant, different tactic: Habitat determines response to climate

Drinking plenty of water may actually be good for you

Men at high risk of cardiovascular disease face brain health decline 10 years earlier than women

Irregular sleep-wake cycle linked to heightened risk of major cardiovascular events

Depression can cause period pain, new study suggests

Wistar Institute scientists identify important factor in neural development

New imaging platform developed by Rice researchers revolutionizes 3D visualization of cellular structures

To catch financial rats, a better mousetrap

Mapping the world's climate danger zones

Emory heart team implants new blood-pumping device for first time in U.S.

Congenital heart defects caused by problems with placenta

Schlechter named Cancer Moonshot Scholar

Two-way water transfers can ensure reliability, save money for urban and agricultural users during drought in Western U.S., new study shows

New issue of advances in dental research explores the role of women in dental, clinical, and translational research

Team unlocks new insights on pulsar signals

Great apes visually track subject-object relationships like humans do

Recovery of testing for heart disease risk factors post-COVID remains patchy

Final data and undiscovered images from NASA’s NEOWISE

Nucleoporin93: A silent protector in vascular health

Can we avert the looming food crisis of climate change?

Alcohol use and antiobesity medication treatment

Study reveals cause of common cancer immunotherapy side effect

New era in amphibian biology

Harbor service, VAST Data provide boost for NCSA systems

[Press-News.org] Gene networks for innate immunity linked to PTSD risk
Blood markers might be used to diagnose condition -- and predict risk