The September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center was an extraordinary environmental disaster resulting in an unprecedented combination of physical and emotional trauma. As many as 60% of responders will experience clinically significant symptoms, most prominently post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and lower respiratory symptoms (LRS). Our group found that PTSD is not only associated with LRS but may contribute to the development of these symptoms as well as diminish their response to treatment. We have performed epigenetic studies and are beginning to untangle the genes responsible for this association. The proposed study will extend these findings to identify the precise cell where these pathogenic relationships are occurring. Ultimately, this knowledge will lead to the development of better diagnostics and more specific treatment for this disease process.
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