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Accelerated DNA methylation aging and increased resilience in veterans - The biological cost for soldiering on777.47 kB
Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Accelerated DNA methylation aging and increased resilience in veterans: The biological cost for soldiering on
Neurobiology of Stress, Vol.8, pp.112-119
2018
PMCID: PMC5991315
PMID: 29888306
Abstract
Accelerated epigenetic aging, the difference between the DNA methylation-predicted age (DNAm age) and the chronological age, is associated with a myriad of diseases. This study investigates the relationship between epigenetic aging and risk and protective factors of PTSD. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis was performed in 211 individuals including combat-exposed Australian veterans (discovery cohort, n = 96 males) and trauma-exposed civilian males from the Grady Trauma Project (replication cohort, n = 115 males). Primary measures included the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). DNAm age prediction was performed using the validated epigenetic clock calculator. Veterans with PTSD had increased PTSD symptom severity (P-value = 3.75 × 10−34) and lower CD-RISC scores (P-value = 7.5 × 10−8) than veterans without PTSD. DNAm age was significantly correlated with the chronological age (P-value = 3.3 × 10−6), but DNAm age acceleration was not different between the PTSD and non-PTSD groups (P-value = 0.24). Evaluating potential protective factors, we found that DNAm age acceleration was significantly associated with CD-RISC resilience scores in veterans with PTSD, these results remained significant after multiple testing correction (P-value = 0.023; r = 0.32). This finding was also replicated in an independent trauma-exposed civilian cohort (P-value = 0.02; r = 0.23). Post-hoc factor analyses revealed that this association was likely driven by “self-efficacy” items within the CD-RISC (P-value = 0.015; r = 0.35). These results suggest that among individuals already suffering from PTSD, some aspects of increased resilience might come at a biological cost.
Details
- Title
- Accelerated DNA methylation aging and increased resilience in veterans: The biological cost for soldiering on
- Authors
- Divya Mehta (Corresponding Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyDagmar Bruenig (Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyBruce Lawford (Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyWendy Harvey (Author) - Greenslopes Private HospitalTania Carrillo-Roa (Author) - Max Planck Institute of PsychiatryCharles P Morris (Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyTanja Jovanovic (Author) - Emory UniversityRoss Young (Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyElisabeth B Binder (Author) - Max Planck Institute of PsychiatryJoanne Voisey (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
- Publication details
- Neurobiology of Stress, Vol.8, pp.112-119
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Date published
- 2018
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ynstr.2018.04.001
- ISSN
- 2352-2895
- PMID
- 29888306; PMC5991315
- Copyright note
- © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY/4.0/)
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99551007802621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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