Correlation of Serum Cytokines in Patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Objective: The objective is to investigate the correlation between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and serum cytokines in Hainan. Methods: The serum levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-8 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 60 post-traumatic stress disorder patients and 60 healthy controls in Hainan. Results: The serum levels of IL-2 (t = 15.981, P = 0.000), IL-6 (t = 20.984, P = 0.000) and IL-8 (t = 6.906, P = 0.000) in PTSD group were significantly higher than those in control group. There was no significant difference in serum IL-4 content between the two groups (t = 1.109), P = 0.259). Conclusion: POST-traumatic stress disorder is closely related to the changes of serum cytokines, and IL-2, IL-6 and IL-8 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of PTSD.