Revista de tratamiento y trastornos del estrés traumático

How Does Lymphocyte Glucocorticoid Receptor Expression and Salivary Cortisol Relate to Trauma Exposure and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder?

Claudia Liebscher, Oliver Grimm, Slawomira J Diener, Stephanie Ridder and Herta Flor

How Does Lymphocyte Glucocorticoid Receptor Expression and Salivary Cortisol Relate to Trauma Exposure and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder?

Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning and glucocorticoid receptor number on lymphocyte subsets were investigated in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder related to type I trauma, trauma-exposed subjects without posttraumatic stress disorder and trauma-unexposed control subjects (n=13 per group) applying a detailed endocrinological assessment. Salivary cortisol profiles were obtained, first, as diurnal baseline cortisol (unstimulated), and second, after dexamethasone administration (stimulated cortisol) to investigate the negative feedback inhibition of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. For further assessment of glucocorticoid receptor binding, glucocorticoid receptor counts on lymphocytes were obtained from blood samples.