Childhood Trauma Associated with Short Leukocyte Telomere Length in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.01.035

Biological Psychiatry

Volume 70, Issue 5, 1 September 2011, Pages 465-471

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.01.035 Get rights and content

Background

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with increased risk for age-related diseases and early mortality. An accelerated rate of biological aging could contribute to this increased risk. To investigate, we assessed leukocyte telomere length (LTL), an emerging marker of biological age, in men and women with and without PTSD. We also examined childhood trauma, a risk factor for both PTSD and short LTL, as a potential contributor to short LTL in PTSD.

Methods

Participants included 43 adults with chronic PTSD (n = 18 with multiple categories of childhood trauma) and 47 control subjects (none with multiple categories of childhood trauma) (mean age = 30.55, SD = 7.44). Exclusion criteria included physical illness, medication use, obesity, alcohol or substance abuse, and pregnancy. Structured clinical interviews were conducted to assess PTSD and other psychiatric disorders and childhood trauma exposure. LTL was measured with a quantitative polymerase chain reaction method.

Results

As predicted, participants with PTSD had shorter age-adjusted LTL than control subjects. Exposure to childhood trauma was also associated with short LTL. In fact, childhood trauma seemed to account for the PTSD group difference in LTL; only participants with PTSD and exposure to multiple categories of childhood trauma had significantly shorter LTL than control subjects.

Conclusions

Childhood trauma is associated with short LTL in individuals with PTSD. Chronic exposure to the psychobiological sequelae of childhood trauma could increase risk for PTSD and short LTL. Thus, the lasting psychological impact of exposure to trauma in childhood might be accompanied by equally enduring changes at the molecular level.

Section snippets

Design and Sample

The present study has a cross-sectional, 2 × 2 design (PTSD/control × male/female) with medically healthy, medication-free subjects. Participants were recruited through ads and flyers distributed in the community as well as through relevant local clinics for the PTSD sample. The final sample included 43 individuals with current chronic PTSD (47% women; mean age = 30.60, SD = 6.63) and 47 control subjects without PTSD (56% women; mean age = 30.68, SD = 8.19), ranging in age from 21 to 49 years.

Results

Descriptive data for the sample are presented in Table 1. There were no significant age differences between PTSD (age range: 21–49 years) and control participants (age range: 20–50 years), and there were no gender distribution or education differences between groups (p = ns). However, participants with PTSD did have significantly higher BMI than control subjects (t = 2.62, p = .01). There were no differences between male and female participants in LTL (p = ns). Shortening LTL was associated

Discussion

The present data demonstrate that young to middle-aged adults with PTSD have shorter LTL than nonpsychiatric control persons, even in the absence of chronic physical illness. This finding extends a small but growing body of literature showing short LTL in individuals experiencing chronic psychological stress (17, 18) or psychiatric illness (16, 42). However, our data additionally indicated that only participants with PTSD who had been exposed to multiple types of childhood trauma had

Conclusions

This study represents the first demonstration of short LTL in PTSD and additionally indicates that only patients with PTSD and a substantial history of childhood trauma have short LTL. Our findings that even physically healthy young to middle-aged adults with PTSD and childhood trauma bear markers of cellular aging suggests the need for further research to understand the biological effects of trauma and to prevent future adverse health outcomes in this population.

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Archival ReportChildhood Trauma Associated with Short Leukocyte Telomere Length in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Section snippets

Design and Sample

Results

Discussion

Conclusions

Neuron

Brain Behav Immun

Lancet

Lancet

Biol Psychiatry

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Brain Behav Immun

Biol Psychiatry

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Biol Psychiatry

Biol Psychiatry

Psychoneuroendocrinology

J Immunol Methods

Gen Hosp Psychiatry

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Archival Report
Childhood Trauma Associated with Short Leukocyte Telomere Length in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder