BIOPSYCHOLOGICAL RELATIONS AND PREDICTION OF THE COURSE OF VIRAL-HEPATITIS

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.