Factors that differentiate Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients from Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) patients among Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans
Abstract
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) has become the “signature wound” of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). Due to the increased use of improvised explosive devices by the insurgent forces and the unavoidable facial exposure of our combat troops, even when wearing protective gear, estimates suggest that as many as 20 % to 30 % of returning soldiers may eventually exhibit symptoms of TBI. Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as defined by the American Psychiatric Association, is a serious behavioral health disorder, and it has been estimated that 17.1 % of soldiers returning from Iraq, and 11.2 % of those returning from Afghanistan, have experienced major depression, generalized anxiety, and/or PTSD. As a part of the present effort, investigators within the Integrative Systems Biology Program (ISB), at US Army Center for Environmental Health Research (USACEHR), are working with collaborators from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center (DDEAMC) to screen for potential biomarkers associated with neuronal injury. In this pilot study, blood samples were collected at DDEAMC from patients diagnosed with PTSD, TBI, or both, and shared with USACEHR for multi‐omics analysis for identification of candidate genes/proteins distinguishing between TBI and PTSD. The candidate gene/protein approach is viewed as only a first step toward identifying molecular mechanisms that are likely to be involved in the physiologic consequences of TBI/PTSD. Gene expression, DNA methylation, and targeted proteomics analysis have been completed with these samples. Functional pathway predictions indicate possible overlaps of networks enriched by differentially expressed genes and methylated genes. The advancements realized through the current findings need to be validated using larger sample sizes, and it will be important to include a gender/age/ethnicity‐matched control. The results of this research will be leveraged in multiple ways to improve the health and treatment of returning soldiers diagnosed with TBI/PTSD.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2017
- Source ID
- 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.612.4
Entities
People
- Aarti Gautam
- Allison Hoke
- Bintu Sowe
- Marti Jett
- Nabarun Chakraborty
- Rasha Hammamieh
- Ruoting Yang
- Stacy‐ann Miller
Organizations
- Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research
- Geneva Foundation
- United States Army