ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Neurosci.
Sec. Neuroendocrine Science
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1622978
This article is part of the Research TopicMetabolic Implications in Sepsis and Inflammation-related Critical IllnessesView all articles
Analysis of the Correlation between Serum Vitamin D and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Hormone Levels in Patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Provisionally accepted
- People’s Hospital of Rizhao, Rizhao, China
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Objective: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD) is a psychological disorder triggered by extreme traumatic events. It is characterized by impaired cognitive function and neuroendocrine dysfunction, particularly dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.In recent years, the role of vitamin D in neuroprotection and cognitive function has garnered increasing interest; however, its relationship with hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal(HPA) axis hormone levels in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains poorly understood. Methods: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between serum vitamin D levels and HPA axis hormones in patients with PTSD. A total of 96 patients with severe trauma admitted to Rizhao People's Hospital between March 2022 and December 2024 were enrolled and categorized into PTSD and non-PTSD groups according to diagnostic criteria. PTSD symptoms were evaluated using the PTSD Checklist–Civilian Version. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, corticotropin-releasing hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and cortisol were measured. Spearman's correlation analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves were employed to assess associations between vitamin D, HPA axis biomarkers, and PCL-C Scores. Results: The results showed that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were significantly lower in the PTSD group compared to the non-PTSD group (P<0.001), while CRH and ACTH levels were significantly higher, and cortisol levels were significantly lower (P<0.001). Spearman correlation analysis indicated that vitamin D levels were negatively correlated with CRH and ACTH levels and positively correlated with cortisol levels (P<0.05). ROC curve analysis revealed that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels have diagnostic potential for PTSD, with a cutoff value of 16.32 ng/mL, an AUC of 0.698, sensitivity of 86.2%, and specificity of 51.1%. Conclusion: This study demonstrated a correlation between serum vitamin D levels and HPA axis hormone levels in patients with PTSD, suggesting that vitamin D deficiency may be associated with HPA axis dysregulation in PTSD. These findings underscore a potential link between vitamin D deficiency and PTSD, warranting further investigation into the role of vitamin D in the disorder's pathophysiology and its potential as a therapeutically modifiable factor.
Keywords: Post-traumatic stress disorder, Vitamin D, Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis, cortisol, Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone
Received: 09 May 2025; Accepted: 19 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 ge, zhang, Xu, Liu, Cui and Ju. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Weihua Xu, rzsrmyyxwh@163.com
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