Transcriptional Control of Monocyte Gene Expression in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Published Web Location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3825251/Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) confers an increased risk for disorders with an inflammatory etiology. PTSD-related dysregulation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and associatedalterations in inflammatory activity may contribute to thisincreased risk. However, little is known about convergent SNS, HPAand inflammatory signaling at the level of the immune cell transcriptome in PTSD. To explore such signaling, we examined theprevalence of specific transcription factor binding motifsin the promoter regions of differentially expressed genes in monocytesfrom individuals with PTSD and matched controls. Participants included 49 men (24 PTSD+ and 25 trauma-exposed controls)and 18 women (10 PTSD+ and 8 controls). Men with PTSD showed up-regulation of target genes for the NF-κB/Rel familyof transcription factors, which convey inflammatory signals, up-regulation of target genes for CREB/ATF transcription factors,which convey adrenergic signals from the SNS, and down-regulation of target genes for the glucocorticoid receptor, which conveysglucocorticoid signals from the HPA axis. Women with PTSD also showed significant up-regulation of target genes for NF-κBand non-significant down-regulation of target genes for GR,but significant down-regulation of target genes for CREB/ATF.Altered transcriptional control of monocyte gene expression could contribute to exaggerated inflammatory activity in PTSD.
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