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Using Next-Generation Sequencing Transcriptomics to Determine Markers of Post-traumatic Symptoms - preliminary findings from a post-deployment cohort

ABSTRACT: Post-traumatic stress disorder is a concerning psycho behavioral disorder thought to emerge from the complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. For soldiers exposed to combat, the risk of developing this disorder is two-fold and diagnosis is often late, when much sequela has set in. To be able to identify and diagnose in advance those at “risk” of developing PTSD, would greatly taper the gap between late sequelae and treatment. Therefore, this study sought to test the hypothesis that the transcriptome can be used to track the development of PTSD in this unique and susceptible cohort of individuals. Gene expression levels in peripheral blood samples from 85 Canadian infantry soldiers (n = 58 subjects negative for PTSD symptoms and n = 27 subjects with PTSD symptoms) were determined by RNA sequencing technology following their return from deployment to Afghanistan. Count-based gene expression quantification, normalization and differential analysis (with thorough correction for confounders) revealed significant differences in two genes, LRP8 and GOLM1 . These preliminary results provide a proof-of-principle for the diagnostic utility of blood-based gene expression profiles for tracking symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in soldiers returning from tour. It is also the first to report transcriptome-wide expression profiles alongside a post-traumatic symptom checklist.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE109409 | GEO | 2019/01/18

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:The molecular factors involved in the development of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) remain poorly understood. Previous transcriptomic studies investigating the mechanisms of PTSD apply targeted approaches to identify individual genes under a cross-sectional framework lack a holistic view of the behaviours and properties of these genes at the system-level. Here we sought to apply an unsupervised gene-network-based approach to a prospective experimental design using whole-transcriptome RNA-Seq gene expression from peripheral blood leukocytes of U.S. Marines (N=188), obtained both pre- and post-deployment to conflict zones. We identified discrete groups of co-regulated genes (i.e., co-expression modules) and tested them for association to PTSD. We identified one module at both pre- and post-deployment containing putative causal signatures for PTSD development displaying an over-expression of genes enriched for functions of innate-immune response and interferon signalling (Type-I and Type-II). Importantly, these results were replicated in a second non-overlapping independent dataset of U.S. Marines (N=96), further outlining the role of innate immune and interferon signalling genes within co-expression modules to explain at least part of the causal pathophysiology for PTSD development. A second module, consequential of trauma exposure, contained PTSD resiliency signatures and an over-expression of genes involved in hemostasis and wound responsiveness suggesting that chronic levels of stress impair proper wound healing during/after exposure to the battlefield while highlighting the role of the hemostatic system as a clinical indicator of chronic-based stress. These findings provide novel insights for early preventative measures and advanced PTSD detection, which may lead to interventions that delay or perhaps abrogate the development of PTSD. We used microarrays to characterize both prognostic and diagnostic molecular signatures associated to PTSD risk and PTSD status compared to control subjects. Peripheral blood leukocytes gene expression was subject to transcriptional analysis for 48 service members both prior-to and following deployment to conflict zones. Half of the subjects returned with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), while the other half did not.

Project description:The molecular factors involved in the development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) remain poorly understood. Previous transcriptomic studies investigating the mechanisms of PTSD apply targeted approaches to identify individual genes under a cross-sectional framework lack a holistic view of the behaviours and properties of these genes at the system-level. Here we sought to apply an unsupervised gene-network based approach to a prospective experimental design using whole-transcriptome RNA-Seq gene expression from peripheral blood leukocytes of U.S. Marines (N=188), obtained both pre- and post-deployment to conflict zones. We identified discrete groups of co-regulated genes (i.e., co-expression modules) and tested them for association to PTSD. We identified one module at both pre- and post-deployment containing putative causal signatures for PTSD development displaying an over-expression of genes enriched for functions of innate-immune response and interferon signalling (Type-I and Type-II). Importantly, these results were replicated in a second non-overlapping independent dataset of U.S. Marines (N=96), further outlining the role of innate immune and interferon signalling genes within co-expression modules to explain at least part of the causal pathophysiology for PTSD development. A second module, consequential of trauma exposure, contained PTSD resiliency signatures and an over-expression of genes involved in hemostasis and wound responsiveness suggesting that chronic levels of stress impair proper wound healing during/after exposure to the battlefield while highlighting the role of the hemostatic system as a clinical indicator of chronic-based stress. These findings provide novel insights for early preventative measures and advanced PTSD detection, which may lead to interventions that delay or perhaps abrogate the development of PTSD. We used RNA-Sequencing gene expression to characterize both prognostic and diagnostic molecular signatures associated to PTSD risk and PTSD status compared to control subjects. Peripheral blood luekocytes gene expression was subject to transcriptional analysis for 94 service members both prior-to and following-deployment to conflict zones. Half of the subjects returned with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while the other half did not.

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Using Next-Generation Sequencing Transcriptomics to Determine Markers of Post-traumatic Symptoms - preliminary findings from a post-deployment cohort

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