A discovery plasma proteome signature in military personnel with chronic PTSD symptoms
Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2026
Lim A., Robey C., Kenney K., Yun S., Yun J., Alice J., Dark H., Gill J., Lippa S.
| Disease area | Application area | Sample type | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
Neurology | Pathophysiology Patient Stratification |  Olink Explore HT |
Abstract
Introduction
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is highly prevalent among U.S. service members and veterans (SMV) and has lasting impacts on health and well-being. However, the biological underpinnings of PTSD remain poorly characterized. This study aimed to discover novel candidate proteins and protein pathways associated with PTSD using unbiased, high-throughput proteomics profiling.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted using a subset of SMV participants from a clinical cohort undergoing evaluations at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, who consented to a research blood draw and use of their clinical data in research. The cohort with available blood samples was classified into PTSD-Present and PTSD-Absent groups based on the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version. Olink high-throughput proteomic profiling examined 5400 human plasma proteins, and differentially expressed proteins were examined. Ingenuity pathway analysis was used to identify proteomic pathways among the significant differentially expressed proteins between the PTSD-Present and PTSD-Absent groups.
Results
We included 208 samples in our analysis, 126 with and 82 without PTSD. We identified 366 proteins that were significantly differentially expressed between groups, with the 3 most significant being LMOD2 (Leiomodin-2), ATP5F1D (ATP synthase δ-subunit), and CASKIN1 (CASK-interacting protein). Extracellular matrix organization pathways and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) signaling were downregulated in PTSD, suggesting possible vascular inflammation and remodeling. Data-driven protein networks suggest reduced immune cell activation.
Discussion
Determining differential protein expression and identifying the associated protein pathways linked to PTSD may provide new insights into the biological basis of chronic PTSD symptoms and help identify novel candidate protein biomarkers of PTSD and PTSD symptoms for validation in separate and larger cohorts. From this discovery cohort, we report that elevated PTSD symptoms may be associated with downregulation of extracellular matrix organization, inflammation signaling, and vascular remodeling pathways. Future research is necessary to validate this novel group of biomarkers and pathways.