Psychoneuroimmunology alternations as a comorbidity of post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans – case report

Abstract

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is defined as an extensive response to a major traumatic event. Psychoneuroimmunology represents an integrative approach in tackling and understanding various human diseases and disorders such as cardiovascular, autoimmune and physical complaints/chronic pain. Psychosocial context influences brain stress response pathways and modifies stress-related behavior. In this case report, we observed 5 patients, veterans from Croatian War of Independence (1990-1995), who suffer from PTSD. They have altered stress reactivity, as well as distinct expression for genes involved in immune activation. Those patients have been found to exhibit a number of immune changes including increased circulating inflammatory markers, increased reactivity to antigen skin tests, lower natural killer cell activity, and lower total T lymphocyte counts. The traumatic event (Croatian War of Independence) generates downstream alterations in immune function. This case report imply that immune dysfunction caused by PTSD may mediate or facilitate somatic conditions.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.