Vera Folnegović-Smalc

Publications (2)4.32 Total impact

• Article: Circulating lymphocyte subsets, natural killer cell cytotoxicity, and components of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in Croatian war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: cross-sectional study.

  Andelko Vidović, Maja Vilibić, Ante Sabioncello, Katja Gotovac, Sabina Rabatić, Vera Folnegović-Smalc, Dragan Dekaris
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  ABSTRACT: To determine peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets--T cells, helper T cells, cytotoxic T cells, B cells, and natural killer cells, natural killer cell cytotoxicity, serum cortisol concentration, and lymphocyte glucocorticoid receptor expression in Croatian combat veterans diagnosed with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); and to examine the relationship between the assessed parameters and the time passed since the traumatic experience. Well-characterized group of 38 PTSD patients was compared to a group of 24 healthy civilians. Simultaneous determination of lymphocyte subsets and the expression of intracellular glucocorticoid receptor was performed using three-color flow cytometry. Natural killer cell cytotoxicity was measured by (51)Cr-release assay and the serum cortisol concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay. We found higher lymphocyte counts in PTSD patients than in healthy controls (2294.7+/-678.0/microL vs 1817.2+/-637.0/microL, P=0.007) and a positive correlation between lymphocyte glucocorticoid receptor expression and the number of years that passed from the traumatic experience (r(s)=0.43, P=0.008). Lymphocyte glucocorticoid receptor expression positively correlated with serum cortisol concentration both in PTSD patients (r=0.46, P=0.006) and healthy controls (r=0.46, P=0.035). This study confirmed that the immune system was affected in the course of chronic PTSD. Our findings also indicated that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis profile in PTSD was associated with the duration of the disorder. Due to the lack of power, greater sample sizes are needed to confirm the results of this study.
  Croatian Medical Journal 05/2007; 48(2):198-206. · 1.80 Impact Factor
• Article: Baseline level of platelet-leukocyte aggregates, platelet CD63 expression, and soluble P-selectin concentration in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder: a pilot study.

  Andelko Vidović, Maja Vilibić, Alemka Markotić, Ante Sabioncello, Katja Gotovac, Vera Folnegović-Smalc, Dragan Dekaris
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  ABSTRACT: Platelets may have an important role in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) as a result of chronic stress. We conducted a pilot study to evaluate the effect of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on baseline platelet activation. Platelet-leukocyte aggregates (PLA) and CD63 expression were measured by flow cytometry, and soluble (s)P-selectin concentration was determined in sera of 20 Croatian male combat veterans with PTSD and 20 healthy civilians. Groups were matched in sex, age, body mass index (BMI) and traditional CVD risk factors. Our data showed no differences in measured parameters. Other platelet activation markers should be determined and a larger sample size used in future studies.
  Psychiatry Research 04/2007; 150(2):211-6. · 2.52 Impact Factor