Genetic Polymorphisms of Nervous System Development and the Risk of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Background: Posttraumatic stressdisorder (PTSD) is a complex severe polygenic psychiatric disease, influenced byenvironmental and genetic factors. PTSD development and progression is characterizedby cognitive impairment, which may result in altered processes of nervous systemdevelopment and synaptic plasticity, where a number of growth factors and their receptors were shown to play important role. Since neurotrophins play an essentialrole in the development of central nervous system, it is widely implicated in psychiatricdisorders. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential association functionalpolymorphisms of genes encoding netrin G1 (NTNG1), brain-derived neurotrophicfactor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF) and its receptor (NGFR) with PTSD. Methods:Study groups consisted of 200 combat veterans with PTSD and an equal number of controlswith no family or past history of any psychiatric disorders. The DNA samples weregenotyped for NTNG1 rs62811; BDNF rs6265; NGF rs6330, rs4839435; NGFR rs11466155,rs734194 SNPs using polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific primers. Results:According to the results, NGF rs6330 was overrepresentedin patients with PTSD compared to controls. Furthermore, negative association forBDNF rs6265, NGF rs4839435 and NGFR rs734194 was observed in PTSD patients. Conclusions:In summary, BDNF rs6265, NGF rs6330, rs4839435 and NGFR rs734194 are implicatedin PTSD in Armenian population. However, further research is required to provide the definitive evidence of selectedpolymorphism association with gene expression.