Genetic Screen for PTSD-Prone Soldiers

摘要

Genetic factors influence risk of exposure to trauma suggesting a role for personality traits like neuroticism, impulsivity, and/or preexisting conditions such as anxiety or depression in PTSD susceptibility. Calcyon is an excellent candidate gene for investigating a potential relationship between impulsivity and PTSD. We established a repository of cell lines from over PTSD- positive and control military personnel and veterans with mild to severe combat exposure. Each participant was extensively evaluated for trauma exposure, social support, medical history, personality traits and symptoms by clinicians specializing in PTSD, and genotyped for ancestry. We are on target for genotyping the calcyon gene in these subjects with respect to the C1 haplotype as it shows significant association with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Single locus haplotype analyses of CAPS sores will be based on linear regression models including combat exposure, ethnicity, impulsivity and social environment as covariates. In addition, gene x environment interactions will directly be tested. All of our findings on the effect of polymorphisms in calcyon to PTSD susceptibility in the combat exposed military personnel will be submitted for publication, and if positive could be useful in prognostic screen of combat-worthy soldiers.