A comparative study on the levels of serum cytokines and cortisol among post-traumatic stress disorder patients of Li and Han ethnicities in Hainan

作者：Chen Tao; Guo Min^*; Gao Yunsuo; Chen Feng; Guo Juncheng; Liu Tao; Wu Duoyu; Jiang Xianglin

来源：Chinese Medical Journal, 2014, 127(15): 2771-2774.

DOI：10.3760/cma.j.issn.0366-6999.20140738

• Li ethnicity and Han ethnicity
• cytokine
• cortisol
• post-traumatic stress disorder

Background Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder with delayed or chronic onset caused by unusual, threatening, or disastrous psychological trauma, and it is an important manifestation of post-disaster mental and behavioral disorders. Studies have shown that IL-6 is a cytokine associated with PTSD occurrence. This study aimed to explore the role of cytokine and ethnicity in the pathogenesis of PTSD by examining levels of serum cytokines IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha, and cortisol in PTSD patients of Li and Han ethnic groups. @@@ Methods Levels of serum cytokines IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha, and cortisol were examined by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) method and assessed by PCL-C scale among 30 PTSD patients of Han ethnicity and 30 of Li ethnicity, and compared with 30 normal controls of Han and Li ethnicity, respectively. @@@ Results PTSD patients of Li ethnicity scored higher than PTSD patients of Han ethnicity, and normal controls of Li and Han ethnic groups in each of the re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyperarousal symptoms. The differences reached statistical significance (P<0.05). In PTSD patients of Li ethnicity compared to patients of Han ethnicity and normal controls of either Li or Han ethnicity, the levels of IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-alpha were higher, and the level of cortisol was lower. @@@ Conclusions There are ethnic differences in re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyperarousal symptoms among PTSD patients. The levels of serum cortisol and cytokines are strongly associated with the race.

• 出版日期2014-8-5
• 单位海南省人民医院