Relationships of blood proinflammatory markers with psychological resilience and quality of life in civilian women with posttraumatic stress disorder

Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) show low resilience and impaired quality of life (QOL). Accumulating evidence shows that PTSD is associated with increased inflammation. Studies suggest that inflammation can be a key mechanism underlying low resilience/QOL, but this relationship has been understudied in individuals with PTSD. Here, we investigated the association of blood proinflammatory markers with self-reported resilience and QOL in civilian women with PTSD. Fifty-six women with PTSD and 73 healthy control women participated in this study. Resilience was assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. QOL was assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF. Blood samples were collected for the measurement of three proinflammatory markers including interleukin-6 (IL-6), high-sensitivity tumor necrosis factor-α, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). Compared to controls, patients showed significantly higher IL-6 levels and lower resilience and QOL. In patients, IL-6 levels were significantly negatively correlated with resilience, and hsCRP levels were significantly negatively correlated with psychological QOL. These results show that increased levels of proinflammatory markers including IL-6 and hsCRP are associated with lower psychological resilience and QOL in PTSD patients. Our findings suggest that interventions and treatments targeting inflammation may aid in the recovery from PTSD and lead to better prognosis.