DNA damage in lymphocytes of patients suffering from complex traumatization

Abstract It has been shown that complex childhood traumatization (CCT) increases the risk for severe somatic and mental disorders. However, the somatic pathways linking maladaptive affect regulation and disease are not understood. Here we tested the hypothesis that traumatic stress is linked to the induction of DNA damage. We isolated peripheral lymphocytes (PBLCs) from blood of healthy donors and patients suffering from CCT. Cells were immobilised on slides and stained with anti-phosphohistone 2AX (γH2AX). The number of γH2AX foci, which are an accepted surrogate marker of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), was determined and set in relation to the patient characteristics. We show that CCT patients (HS) have higher levels of DSBs in PBLCs than healthy volunteers (CG) and psychiatric patients without CCT (LS) (HS: 0.88 ± 0.46 foci/cell; LS: 0.31 ± 0.23 foci/cell; CG: 0.15 ± 0.10 foci/cell). The difference between HS and control group was highly significant (p