PTSD is associated with an increase in aged T cell phenotypes in adults living in Detroit

  • Allison E. Aiello
  • , Jennifer B. Dowd
  • , Bamini Jayabalasingham
  • , Lydia Feinstein
  • , Monica Uddin
  • , Amanda M. Simanek
  • , Caroline K. Cheng
  • , Sandro Galea
  • , Derek E. Wildman
  • , Karestan Koenen
  • , Graham Pawelec

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

50 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Psychosocial stress is thought to play a key role in the acceleration of immunological aging. This study investigated the relationship between lifetime and past-year history of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the distribution of T cell phenotypes thought to be characteristic of immunological aging. Methods: Data were from 85 individuals who participated in the community-based Detroit Neighborhood Health Study. Immune markers assessed included the CD4:CD8 ratio, the ratio of late-differentiated effector (CCR7-CD45RA+CD27-CD28-) to naïve (CCR7+CD45RA+CD27+CD28+) T cells, the percentage of KLRG1-expressing cells, and the percentage of CD57-expressing cells. Results: In models adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, smoking status, and medication use, we found that past-year PTSD was associated with statistically significant differences in the CD8+ T cell population, including a higher ratio of late-differentiated effector to naïve T cells, a higher percentage of KLRG1+ cells, and a higher percentage of CD57+ cells. The percentage of CD57+ cells in the CD4 subset was also significantly higher and the CD4:CD8 ratio significantly lower among individuals who had experienced past-year PTSD. Lifetime PTSD was also associated with differences in several parameters of immune aging. Conclusions: PTSD is associated with an aged immune phenotype and should be evaluated as a potential catalyzer of accelerated immunological aging in future studies.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)133-141
Number of pages9
JournalPsychoneuroendocrinology
Volume67
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1 2016

Keywords

  • Aging
  • Detroit
  • Immunity
  • Immunosenescence
  • Post traumatic stress disorder
  • T cells

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