# Inflammatory markers in world trade center workers with asthma: Associations with post traumatic stress disorder

## TL;DR

This study explores whether PTSD in WTC workers with asthma is linked to specific inflammation patterns, but finds no such connection.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence that PTSD in WTC workers with asthma is not associated with specific inflammatory markers.

## Key findings

- PTSD was significantly associated with worse asthma control and increased resource utilization.
- No significant associations were found between PTSD and inflammatory markers in blood or sputum samples.
- Other mechanisms likely explain the relationship between PTSD and asthma outcomes in WTC workers.

## Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) is associated with worse asthma outcomes in individuals exposed to the World Trade Center (WTC) site.

Do WTC workers with coexisting PTSD and asthma have a specific inflammatory pattern that underlies the relationship with increased asthma morbidity?

We collected data on a cohort of WTC workers with asthma recruited from the WTC Health Program. Diagnosis of PTSD was ascertained with a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders) and the severity of PTSD symptoms was assessed with the PTSD Checklist 5. We obtained blood and sputum samples to measure cytokines levels in study participants.

Of the 232 WTC workers with diagnosis of asthma in the study, 75 (32%) had PTSD. PTSD was significantly associated with worse asthma control (p = 0.002) and increased resource utilization (p = 0.0002). There was no significant association (p>0.05) between most blood or sputum cytokines with PTSD diagnosis or PCL-5 scores both in unadjusted and adjusted analyses.

Our results suggest that PTSD is not associated with blood and sputum inflammatory markers in WTC workers with asthma. These findings suggest that other mechanisms likely explain the association between PTSD and asthma control in WTC exposed individuals.