M. Rose et al., BIOPSYCHOLOGICAL RELATIONS AND PREDICTION OF THE COURSE OF VIRAL-HEPATITIS, PPmP. Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik, medizinische Psychologie, 47(12), 1997, pp. 435-445
Psychosocial factors are discussed to influence the manifestation and
course of infectious diseases. The results of psychoimmunological rese
arch during the past two decades have proved that different psychosoci
al factors can alter a great number of immune functions. Clinical stud
ies on the relevance of such immune alterations are stilt rare. The co
urse of viral hepatitis is strictly determined by individual immune-co
mpetence, and because it is not medically treated in acute stages it o
ffers an ideal biopsychosocial research model. in 87 patients with acu
te viral hepatitis we measured every week complaints, moods (German ad
aptation of MACL), liver and immune-function (sIL-2R, alpha IFN, IL-1R
a, IL-6). It was shown that complaints are influenced by immune activi
ty as well as by individual psychological factors. Patients could be d
ifferentiated by symptoms ad hospital admission into three groups: 1.
with mainly bodily focused symptoms, 2. with predominantly anxious-dep
ressive symptoms and 3. with elevated moods without complaints. In the
further course patients in group 2 and 3 showed more often a delayed
recovery, and hence we must presumed that the coping-process in group
1 is more likely to support immune functioning, whereas coping mechani
sms in groups 2 and 3 are more likely to suppress it.