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

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.