Serum Concentrations of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α and its Soluble Receptors in Soldiers with and Without Combat-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder： Influence of Age and Body Mass Index

To the Editor： With great interest we read the original article of Chert et al published in the Chinese Medical Journal comparing serum concentrations of cytokines in patients of Han and Li ethnicity with posttraumatic stress disorder （PTSD）. The authors found significantly higher serum concentrations of the cytokines interleukin （IL）-2, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α in PTSD patients compared to normal controls, and differences in cytokine concentrations according to ethnicity.