Decreased plasma adiponectin among male firefighters with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have reported that adiponectin-mediated neuromolecular pathways are involved in fear extinction, implying that adiponectin may be an important biological marker for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, no study has investigated the association between adiponectin and patients with PTSD.

METHODS: We examined plasma adiponectin levels, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and psychopathological factors using the Korean version of the Impact Event Scale-Revised (IES-R-K) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale in 507 male firefighters. The PTSD symptom group was defined as those with a score of 25 or higher on the IES-R-K. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the covariates for the PTSD symptom group.

RESULTS: Out of 507 male firefighters, 139 (27.4%) had a score of 25 or more on the IES-R-K. The PTSD symptom group had lower plasma adiponectin levels than the controls. There was an inverse correlation between plasma adiponectin levels and PTSD severity. There was no correlation between adiponectin levels and depression. The adiponectin level was associated with the presence of PTSD symptom (odds ratio = 0.955, 95% CI = 0.920-0.991).

LIMITATIONS: A cross-sectional design and using self-rated instruments.

CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, the results showed that decreased adiponectin-mediated activity is associated with PTSD. Future studies are necessary to identify the causative role of adiponectin for PTSD as well as any possible covariates.