Cell type specific gene expression patterns associated with posttraumatic stress disorder in World Trade Center responders

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been linked to immunologic dysregulation. Gene expression profiling has emerged as a promising tool for understanding the pathophysiology of PTSD. However, to date, all but one gene expression study was based on whole blood or unsorted peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC), a complex tissue consisting of several populations of cells. The objective of this study was to utilize RNA sequencing to simultaneously profile the gene-expression of four immune cell subpopulations in World Trade Center responders. Pathway analyses identified gene sets related to immune response and inflammation as being among the differentially expressed genes in PTSD, including mast cell activation and regulation in CD4T, interferon-beta production in CD8T, and neutrophil related gene sets in monocytes. These findings are suggestive that immune cell dysregulation involves gene expression in various cell populations.

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