Erica M Branham, Samuel A McLean, Ishani Deliwala, Matthew C Mauck, Ying Zhao, Lauren A McKibben, Aaron Lee, Alex B Spencer, Anthony S Zannas, Megan Lechner, Teresa Danza, Marc-Anthony Velilla, Phyllis L Hendry, Claire Pearson, David A Peak, Jeffrey Jones, Niels K Rathlev, Sarah D Linnstaedt
Chronic posttraumatic musculoskeletal pain (CPTP) is a common outcome of traumatic stress exposure. Biological factors that influence the development of CPTP are poorly understood, though current evidence indicates that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis plays a critical role in its development. Little is known about molecular mechanisms underlying this association, including epigenetic mechanisms. Here, we assessed whether peritraumatic DNA methylation levels at 248 CpG sites in HPA axis genes (FKBP5, NR3C1, CRH, CRHR1, CRHR2, CRHBP, POMC) predict CPTP and whether identified CPTP-associated methylation levels influence expression of those genes...
March 9, 2023: Journal of Pain