Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

a<p>Data are presented as mean ± SD. Group differences were analyzed using chi-square tests (categorical data) and <i>t</i>-tests (continuous data). CAPS, Clinician Administered PTSD Scale; HAM-D, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; SOMS-7, Screening for Somatoform Symptoms-7.</p

Glucocorticoid receptor isoform expression.

<p>Expression levels of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) α and β isoforms as well as GRα/GRβ ratio in the peripheral blood of non-PTSD subjects (<i>n</i> = 35) and PTSD patients (<i>n</i> = 42) measured by real-time quantitative PCR. Means and SEM are shown. ** <i>p</i> = 0.01.</p

Relationship between trauma load and GRα isoform expression.

<p>(A) Number of different traumatic event types, (B) PTSD symptom severity, and (C) GRα mRNA expression levels in non-PTSD subjects with no or few traumatic experiences (0–3 traumatic event types; <i>low trauma-exposed non-PTSD</i>; <i>n</i> = 20), in non-PTSD subjects with substantial exposure to traumatic stressors (4–8 traumatic event types; <i>high trauma-exposed non-PTSD</i>; <i>n</i> = 15), and in PTSD patients (<i>n</i> = 42). Means and SEM are shown. * <i>p</i><0.05, ** <i>p</i><0.01, *** <i>p</i><0.001.</p

Blood cell parameters and plasma cortisol concentration.

<p>Data are presented as mean ± SD.</p

Effect of comorbid depression or the use of antidepressants on plasma EC/NAE concentrations.

<p>Effect of comorbid depression or the use of antidepressants on plasma EC/NAE concentrations.</p

Correlation between CAPS scores and PEA plasma levels in individuals after trauma exposure (n = 19).

<p>Panel A: CAPS sum score (r = 0.54, p = 0.02); Panel B: CAPS – intrusion subscore (r = 0.65, p<0.01); Panel C: CAPS – avoidance subscore (r = 0.21, p = 0.40); Panel D: CAPS - hyperarousal subscore (r = 0.29, p = 0.23). Solid line indicates regression line and dotted lines 95% confidence intervals.*marks significant correlations.</p

Relationship between OLDA plasma concentrations and CAPS scores.

<p>Panel A: CAPS sum score (r = −0.68, p<0.01, n = 19); Panel B: CAPS – intrusion subscore (r = −0.65, p<0.01); Panel C: CAPS – avoidance subscore (r = −0.59, p<0.01); Panel D: CAPS – hyperarousal subscore (r = −0.66, p<0.01). Solid line indicates regression line and dotted lines 95% confidence intervals.</p

Comorbidities (except depression) or medication use (except antidepressants) and plasma EC/NAE concentrations in individuals after trauma exposure.

a<p>Comorbidities were rheumatic disease (n = 1), hepatitis B (n = 1) and chronic gastritis (n = 2).</p>b<p>Medications were contraceptives (n = 2), mood stabilizers (n = 1) and antacids (n = 2).</p

Correlation between the number of CAPS traumatic event types and OLDA plasma concentrations (r = −0.50, p = 0.03, n = 19).

<p>The solid line represents the regression line and dotted lines 95% confidence intervals.</p

Demographic and clinical data of the study groups.

a<p>Data are mean±SD; (y) =  years; (f) =  female; (m) =  male.</p>b<p>Trauma-exposed patients received amitriptylin (n = 2), PTSD patients mirtazapin (n = 2) and amitriptylin+mirtazapin (n = 1).</p>c<p>These scores were only available for ethnically matched controls recruited by the Trauma Center of University of Konstanz (n = 9).</p>d<p>Trauma-exposed individuals without PTSD were of Caucasian origin (n = 6) (two from Iran and two from Turkey, one from Bosnia and one from Afghanistan) and 3 were Black-Africans (one from Gambia, one from Eritrea and one from Senegal).</p>e<p>Trauma- exposed individuals with PTSD were Caucasians (n = 8) (two from Turkey, two from Iran, one from Afghanistan, one from Syria, one from Kosovo and one from Bosnia) and two were Black-Africans (one from Nigeria and one from Togo).</p>f<p>Controls were Caucasians (twenty were Germans, one each were from Turkey, Armenia, Israel, two from Romania and two were Russians) and 2 were from Africa (Eritrea and Sudan).</p>*<p>Significantly higher values compared to trauma-exposed individuals <i>without</i> PTSD and to healthy controls.</p>#<p>Significantly higher values compared to healthy controls.</p