Genome-wide Association Study of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Re-Experiencing Symptoms in >165,000 US Veterans
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a major problem among military veterans and civilians alike, yet its pathophysiology remains poorly understood. We used genomewide association study (GWAS) and bioinformatic analyses, including 146,660 European-Americans (EAs) and 19,983 African-Americans (AAs) in the US Million Veteran Program, to identify genetic risk factors relevant to Intrusive reexperiencing of trauma -- the most characteristic symptom cluster of PTSD. In EAs, 8 distinct significant regions were identified. Three regions had P<5×10(−10) -- CAMKV; chromosome 17 closest to KANSL1 but within a large high-LD region that also includes CRHR1; and TCF4. Associations were enriched with respect to the transcriptomic profiles of striatal medium spiny neurons. No significant associations were observed in the AA part of the sample. Results in EAs were replicated in UK Biobank. These results provide new insights into the biology of PTSD in a well--powered GWAS.
