@Article{ecn.2015.0366,
AUTHOR = {Hubertus Himmerich, Gerd D. Willmund, Peter Zimmermann, Jörg-Egbert Wolf, Antje H. Bühler, Lesca M. Holdt, Daniel Teupser, Kenneth C. Kirkby, Ulrich Wesemann},
TITLE = {Serum concentrations of TNF-α, sTNF-R p55 and p75 and post-traumatic stress in German soldiers},
JOURNAL = {European Cytokine Network},
VOLUME = {26},
YEAR = {2015},
NUMBER = {3},
PAGES = {57--60},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/ECN/v26n3/65546},
ISSN = {1952-4005},
ABSTRACT = {Growing evidence suggests involvement of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α system in the pathophysiology
of psychiatric disorders. Research into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has investigated serum
levels of TNF-α, but not to date its soluble receptors sTNF-R p55 and sTNF-R p75. We examined serum levels of
TNF-α, sTNF-R p55 and sTNF-R p75 in 135 male German soldiers 70 of whom had been deployed abroad and 65
in Germany only. Post-traumatic stress symptoms were measured using the Post-traumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale
(PDS) and the Trier Inventory for the Assessment of Chronic Stress (TICS). Correlational analysis controlling for
multiple testing, showed no significant Spearman rank correlations between PDS or TICS scores and serum levels
of TNF-α, sTNF-R p55 or sTNF-R p75, either in the full sample or in the group of soldiers who had been deployed
abroad. ANCOVAs showed no significant differences between soldiers with or without a PDS-derived diagnosis of
PTSD, or between soldiers with or without deployment abroad, after controlling for age, smoking and body mass
index (BMI). These results suggest that the TNF-α system, as reflected by TNF-α, sTNF-R p55 and sTNF-R p75
serum levels, does not play a major role in the pathophysiology and development of PTSD symptoms as measured
by the PDS and the TICS. However, several methodological and contextual issues have to be considered.},
DOI = {10.1684/ecn.2015.0366}
}