Journal article
Altered DNA Methylation Patterns Associated With Clinically Relevant Increases in PTSD Symptoms and PTSD Symptom Profiles in Military Personnel
Biological research for nursing, Vol.20(3), pp.352-358
05/01/2018
DOI: 10.1177/1099800418758951
PMCID: PMC5993080
PMID: 29514460
Abstract
Military personnel experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is associated with differential DNA methylation across the whole genome. However, the relationship between these DNA methylation patterns and clinically relevant increases in PTSD severity is not yet clearly understood. The purpose of this study was to identify differences in DNA methylation associated with PTSD symptoms and investigate DNA methylation changes related to increases in the severity of PTSD in military personnel. In this pilot study, a cross-sectional comparison was made between military personnel with PTSD (n = 8) and combat-matched controls without PTSD (n = 6). Symptom measures were obtained, and genome-wide DNA methylation was measured using methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP-seq) from whole blood samples at baseline and 3 months later. A longitudinal comparison measured DNA methylation changes in military personnel with clinically relevant increases in PTSD symptoms between time points (PTSD onset) and compared methylation patterns to controls with no clinical changes in PTSD. In military personnel with elevated PTSD symptoms 3 months following baseline, 119 genes exhibited reduced methylation and 8 genes exhibited increased methylation. Genes with reduced methylation in the PTSD-onset group relate to the canonical pathways of netrin signaling, Wnt/Ca
pathway, and axonal guidance signaling. These gene pathways relate to neurological disorders, and the current findings suggest that these epigenetic changes potentially relate to PTSD symptomology. This study provides some novel insights into the role of epigenetic changes in PTSD symptoms and the progression of PTSD symptoms in military personnel.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Altered DNA Methylation Patterns Associated With Clinically Relevant Increases in PTSD Symptoms and PTSD Symptom Profiles in Military Personnel
- Creators
- Christiana Martin - National Institute of Nursing ResearchYoung-Eun Cho - National Institute of Nursing ResearchHyungsuk Kim - National Institute of Nursing ResearchSijung Yun - 2 Yotta Biomed, Potomac, MD, USA.Rebekah Kanefsky - National Institute of Nursing ResearchHyunhwa Lee - University of Nevada RenoVincent Mysliwiec - Madigan Army Medical CenterAnn Cashion - National Institute of Nursing ResearchJessica Gill - National Institute of Nursing Research
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Biological research for nursing, Vol.20(3), pp.352-358
- DOI
- 10.1177/1099800418758951
- PMID
- 29514460
- PMCID
- PMC5993080
- ISSN
- 1099-8004
- eISSN
- 1552-4175
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000056, name: National Institute of Nursing Research, award: Grant 60855
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/01/2018
- Academic Unit
- Nursing; Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center
- Record Identifier
- 9984370658402771
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