title: Gene expression signature in peripheral blood cells from medical students exposed to chronic psychological stress.
abstract: To assess response to chronic psychological stress, gene expression profiles in peripheral blood from 18 medical students confronting license examination were analyzed using an original microarray. Total RNA was collected from each subject 9 months before the examination and mixed to be used as a universal control. At that time, most students had normal scores on the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI). However, STAI scores were significantly elevated at 2 months and at 2 days before the examination. Pattern of the gene expression profile was more uniform 2 days before than 2 months before the examination. We identified 24 genes that significantly and uniformly changed from the universal control 2 days before the examination. Of the 24 genes, real-time PCR validated changes in mRNA levels of 10 (PLCB2, CSF3R, ARHGEF1, DPYD, CTNNB1, PPP3CA, POLM, IRF3, TP53, and CCNI). The identified genes may be useful to assess chronic psychological stress response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Stress Science, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Kensei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Michiyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shikishima
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Kazuhito
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rokutan
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010555:Personality Inventory; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*