title: Dysregulated immune system networks in war veterans with PTSD is an outcome of altered miRNA expression and DNA methylation.
abstract: Post-traumatic stress disorder patients experience chronic systemic inflammation. However, the molecular pathways involved and mechanisms regulating the expression of genes involved in inflammatory pathways in PTSD are reported inadequately. Through RNA sequencing and miRNA microarray, we identified 326 genes and 190 miRNAs that were significantly different in their expression levels in the PBMCs of PTSD patients. Expression pairing of the differentially expressed genes and miRNAs indicated an inverse relationship in their expression. Functional analysis of the differentially expressed genes indicated their involvement in the canonical pathways specific to immune system biology. DNA methylation analysis of differentially expressed genes also showed a gradual trend towards differences between control and PTSD patients, again indicating a possible role of this epigenetic mechanism in PTSD inflammation. Overall, combining data from the three techniques provided a holistic view of several pathways in which the differentially expressed genes were impacted through epigenetic mechanisms, in PTSD. Thus, analysis combining data from RNA-Seq, miRNA array and DNA methylation, can provide key evidence about dysregulated pathways and the controlling mechanism in PTSD. Most importantly, the present study provides further evidence that inflammation in PTSD could be epigenetically regulated.
authors: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29209, USA.
authors: Marpe
authors: M
authors: Bam
authors: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29209, USA.|William Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Medical Center, 6439 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, 29209-1639, South Carolina, USA.
authors: Xiaoming
authors: X
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29209, USA.
authors: Elizabeth E
authors: EE
authors: Zumbrun
authors: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29209, USA.
authors: Yin
authors: Y
authors: Zhong
authors: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29209, USA.
authors: Juhua
authors: J
authors: Zhou
authors: William Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Medical Center, 6439 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, 29209-1639, South Carolina, USA.
authors: Jay P
authors: JP
authors: Ginsberg
authors: William Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Medical Center, 6439 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, 29209-1639, South Carolina, USA.
authors: Quinne
authors: Q
authors: Leyden
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29206, USA.
authors: Jiajia
authors: J
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29209, USA.
authors: Prakash S
authors: PS
authors: Nagarkatti
authors: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29209, USA.|William Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Medical Center, 6439 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, 29209-1639, South Carolina, USA.
authors: Mitzi
authors: M
authors: Nagarkatti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA / Q000379:methods; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000235:genetics*; D014728:Veterans
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs