NEUROTRANSMITTER METABOLISM AND INFLAMMATION MARKERS IN POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN MODERN WAR VETERANS

Abstract

Development of posttraumatic stress disorder in combatants is realized through the formation of systemic maladaptive allostatic reactions and is accompanied by disorders of the somatic and mental levels, in the form of recurrent experiences of past psychotraumatic events, unexplained anxiety, anger, guilt, cognitive disorders, psychosomatic asthenovegetative manifestations. Objective of the study: to study neurotransmitter metabolism and proinflammatory cytokines in posttraumatic stress disorder in veterans of modern wars. Materials and methods: The study included 45 veterans of a special military operation in Ukraine with a confirmed diagnosis of PTSD. The comparison group consisted of 25 veterans of the II Chechen military campaign. The control group - 20 healthy servicemen who did not take part in hostilities. The levels of neurotransmitter metabolism components in the blood were determined using test systems from Cloud-Clone Corp. (China). Kynurenine (ng/ml) test – Immunodiagnostic AG system (Germany). IL-1β concentration (pg/ml) – Luminex Magpix 100 immunoanalyzer (USA). Data comparison was performed using SPSS program. Results: in PTSD, the concentration of serotonin, tryptophan and kynurenine significantly decreased in SVO veterans, against the background of an increase in the serotonin transporter and IL-1β. In the group of veterans of the second Chechen campaign, a decrease in serotonin and an increase in the serotonin transporter were noted in comparison with the reference group against the background of clinical manifestations of maladaptation in the form of asthenovegetative and somatoform disorders. Discussion: serotonin deficiency is a key factor in the development of anxiety, depression, affective disorders in combatants with PTSD. The concentration of serotonin in stress-induced pathology decreases due to tryptophan deficiency and inactivation of the transporter in the synaptic cleft. Activation of meta-inflammatory reactions in the CNS leads to a decrease in the level of kynurenine, an increase in neurotoxic reactions due to factors causing apoptosis of astroglia, neurons and oxidative cellular stress. Conclusion: the formation of stress-induced pathology in veterans of modern wars is accompanied by a change in the content of neurotransmitter metabolism products, which change under the conditions of a proinflammatory blood profile