Association of Hormonal Axes Changes with Oxidative Stress in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder for Iraqi Terror Attack Victims

摘要

There is accumulating evidence for a link between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and reduced health status. The present study aimed to investigate theassociation of hormonal axes changes with oxidative stress in PTSD patients and control group.Ninety three subjects (82 males, 11 females) witnessed on explosion occurred at 10thJune 2010 at the exit of public employees in the State Company for Textile Industries in Hilla city of Iraq, as well as fifty subjects (35 males, 15 females) apparently healthy controls as a control groups. Participants were grouped to four groups according to PTSD Checklist (PCL) scores. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), Cortisol, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), total thyroxine, (T_4) total triiodothyronine (T_3) and F_3/ T_4 ratio, were determined using ELISA. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), reduced glutathione (GSH), albumin and lipid peroxidation were determined using spectrophotometric methods.T3was found to be significantly increased in high PCL scores group, whereas ACTH, TSH, T_4, T_3, T_3/ T_4 ratio, SOD, GPx, and MDA, found to be insignificantly increase in the present study, whereasCAT, GSH, and albuminshowed an insignificant decreased in all groups of PTSD patients, when compared to control group. Cortisol levels were significantly decreased in high PCL symptoms scores groups of PTSD patients, when compared to control group. In conclusion, results may indicate an involvement of mild oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of PTSD due to the dysregulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and active hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis.