In a recent study in patients who underwent cardiac surgery, the BclI polymorphism of the glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) was associated with traumatic memories and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms after intensive care therapy.
The gene encoding FK506-binding protein 51 (FKBP5), a co-chaperone of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), has been associated with stress reactivity and PTSD risk.
Together, these findings indicate that an epigenetic modification of the glucocorticoid receptor gene promoter is linked to interindividual and gender-specific differences in memory functions and PTSD risk.
The Hsp90 cochaperone FK506 binding protein 5 (FKBP5) is an established regulator of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and numerous genetic studies have linked it to stress-related diseases such as major depression or posttraumatic stress disorder.
Molecular mechanisms associated with gene x environment interactions or GR programming are essential in explaining current observations in the neuroendocrinology of PTSD that have been difficult to understand through the lens of contemporary stress theory.