title: Circulating lymphocyte subsets, natural killer cell cytotoxicity, and components of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in Croatian war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets--T cells, helper T cells, cytotoxic T cells, B cells, and natural killer cells, natural killer cell cytotoxicity, serum cortisol concentration, and lymphocyte glucocorticoid receptor expression in Croatian combat veterans diagnosed with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); and to examine the relationship between the assessed parameters and the time passed since the traumatic experience.
  
  
  METHODS
  Well-characterized group of 38 PTSD patients was compared to a group of 24 healthy civilians. Simultaneous determination of lymphocyte subsets and the expression of intracellular glucocorticoid receptor was performed using three-color flow cytometry. Natural killer cell cytotoxicity was measured by (51)Cr-release assay and the serum cortisol concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found higher lymphocyte counts in PTSD patients than in healthy controls (2294.7+/-678.0/microL vs 1817.2+/-637.0/microL, P=0.007) and a positive correlation between lymphocyte glucocorticoid receptor expression and the number of years that passed from the traumatic experience (r(s)=0.43, P=0.008). Lymphocyte glucocorticoid receptor expression positively correlated with serum cortisol concentration both in PTSD patients (r=0.46, P=0.006) and healthy controls (r=0.46, P=0.035).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirmed that the immune system was affected in the course of chronic PTSD. Our findings also indicated that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis profile in PTSD was associated with the duration of the disorder. Due to the lack of power, greater sample sizes are needed to confirm the results of this study.
authors: Department for Cellular Immunology, Institute of Immunology, Zagreb, Croatia. avidovic@imz.hr
authors: Andelko
authors: A
authors: Vidović
authors: Maja
authors: M
authors: Vilibić
authors: Ante
authors: A
authors: Sabioncello
authors: Katja
authors: K
authors: Gotovac
authors: Sabina
authors: S
authors: Rabatić
authors: Vera
authors: V
authors: Folnegović-Smalc
authors: Dragan
authors: D
authors: Dekaris
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017523:Croatia; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000378:metabolism; D012016:Reference Values; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D006854:Hydrocortisone