Men's and Women's Immune Systems Respond Differently to PTSD

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110426161535.htm

ScienceDaily (Apr. 26, 2011) — Men and women had starkly different immune system responses to chronic post-traumatic stress disorder, with men showing no response and women showing a strong response, in two studies by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco.

While a robust immune response protects the body from foreign invaders, such as bacteria and viruses, an over-activated response causes inflammation, which can lead to such conditions as cardiovascular disease and arthritis.

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The researchers found no evidence of increased immune activation among the men with PTSD compared to those without PTSD. In contrast, the women with PTSD showed significant evidence of immune activation compared to women without PTSD.

"Previous gene microarray studies on PTSD grouped men and women together, which gave inconclusive results," said senior investigator Lynn Pulliam, MS, PhD, chief of microbiology at SFVAMC and professor of laboratory medicine and medicine at UCSF. "This is the first time that it's been shown that men and women respond differently to PTSD on a very basic biological level."

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