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.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 14, 2011
Accepted:
January 26,
2011
Received in revised form:
January 5,
2011
Received:
September 17,
2010
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
