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. 2016 May:67:133-41.
doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.01.024. Epub 2016 Feb 3.

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

Allison E Aiello  1 , Jennifer B Dowd  2 , Bamini Jayabalasingham  3 , Lydia Feinstein  4 , Monica Uddin  5 , Amanda M Simanek  6 , Caroline K Cheng  7 , Sandro Galea  8 , Derek E Wildman  9 , Karestan Koenen  10 , Graham Pawelec  11
Affiliations

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

Allison E Aiello et al. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2016 May.

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.

Keywords: Aging; Detroit; Immunity; Immunosenescence; Post traumatic stress disorder; T cells.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Distribution of T cell phenotypes by PTSD status among 85 participants in the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Covariate-adjusted associations between Lifetime PTSD and the distribution of T cell phenotypes among 85 participants in the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study. Abbreviations: PTSD, posttraumatic stress disorder; E:N ratio, ratio of end-stage non-proliferative effector cells (E; CCR7-CD45RA+CD27-CD28-orTEMRA) to naïve T-cells (N; CCR7+CD45RA+CD27+CD28 +). *P value <0.05. aModel 1: Association between PTSD and T-cell outcome adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and education. bModel 2: Association between PTSD and T-cell outcome additionally adjusted for smoking status and medication use. 3 individuals missing data on medication use were excluded from the model.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Covariate-adjusted associations between Past-Year PTSD and the distribution of T cell phenotypes among 85 participants in the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study. Abbreviations: PTSD, posttraumatic stress disorder; E:N ratio, ratio of end-stage non-proliferative effector cells (E; CCR7-CD45RA+CD27-CD28-orTEMRA) to naïve T-cells (N; CCR7+CD45RA+CD27+CD28 +). *P value <0.05. aModel 1: Association between PTSD and T-cell outcome adjusted for agegender, race/ethnicity, and education. bModel 2: Association between PTSD and T-cell outcome additionally adjusted for smoking status and medication use. 3 individuals missing data on medication use were excluded from the model.
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