The effect of trauma-focused therapy on the altered T cell distribution in individuals with PTSD: evidence from a randomized controlled trial.
- Morath J Center of Excellence for Psychotraumatology, Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Konstanz, Germany.
- Gola H Clinical and Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89069 Ulm, Germany.
- Sommershof A Division of Immunology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
- Hamuni G Clinical and Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89069 Ulm, Germany.
- Kolassa S SAP Switzerland AG, Tägerwilen, Switzerland.
- Catani C Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bielefeld, Germany.
- Adenauer H Center of Excellence for Psychotraumatology, Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Konstanz, Germany.
- Ruf-Leuschner M Center of Excellence for Psychotraumatology, Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Konstanz, Germany.
- Schauer M Center of Excellence for Psychotraumatology, Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Konstanz, Germany.
- Elbert T Center of Excellence for Psychotraumatology, Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Konstanz, Germany.
- Groettrup M Division of Immunology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany; Biotechnology Institute Thurgau at the University of Konstanz, 8280 Kreuzlingen, Switzerland.
- Kolassa IT Center of Excellence for Psychotraumatology, Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Konstanz, Germany; Clinical and Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89069 Ulm, Germany. Electronic address: Iris.Kolassa@uni-ulm.de.
- 2014-04-15
Published in:
- Journal of psychiatric research. - 2014
Narrative exposure therapy (NET)
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Psychotherapy
Regulatory T cells
T lymphocytes
Adolescent
Adult
Antigens, CD
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Implosive Therapy
Male
Middle Aged
Phenotype
Statistics, Nonparametric
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
T-Lymphocytes
Treatment Outcome
Young Adult
English
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with a reduced ratio of naïve cytotoxic T lymphocytes, an increased ratio of memory cytotoxic T lymphocytes, and a reduced proportion of FoxP3(+) regulatory T lymphocytes. This study investigated whether these immunological alterations are reversible through an evidence-based psychotherapeutic treatment. Therefore, 34 individuals with PTSD were randomly assigned to either a treatment condition of 12 sessions narrative exposure therapy (NET) or a waitlist control (WLC) group. PTSD symptoms were significantly reduced in the NET group, but not in the WLC group, four months post-therapy (effect size: Hedges' g = -1.61). One year after therapy, PTSD symptoms were improved even further in the NET group compared to baseline (Hedges' g = -1.96). This symptom improvement was mirrored in an increase in the originally reduced proportion of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the NET group at the one-year follow-up, when comparing subgroups matched for baseline Treg numbers. However, no changes were found for the initially reduced proportion of CD45RA(+)CCR7(+) naïve T lymphocytes. In conclusion, NET was effective in reducing trauma-related PTSD symptoms and had a positive effect on the proportion of Tregs cells, thus demonstrating an effect of psychotherapy on an immunological level. Yet, the shift in the proportion of naïve and memory T lymphocytes in individuals with PTSD, discussed in the literature as a correlate of premature immunosenescence, was not reversible and thus might render these patients permanently more susceptible to infectious diseases.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- green
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.03.016
- PMID 24726027
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/112611
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