Immunological alterations in patients suffering from bulimia nervosa (DSM-IV 307.51) vs anxiety disorders (DSM-IV 300.01, 300.21, 309.81, 300.02)

Alterations of the immunesystem in different kinds of psychiatric disorders are well known in literature in the last mio decades. While there is a rem arkable impact of these findings for patients suffering from "endogenous ps ychoses", the role of the immunesystem in former called "neuroses" is still not clarified. Previous attempts to evaluate these ideas showed a relation ship between anxiety disorders and alterations of the immunesystem. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the possible role of the imm unesystem (cellular activity, humoral/polyclonal activation) in patients su ffering from bulimia nervosa (DSM-IV 307.51) and to compare these data to t hose of sex and age matched anxiety disorder patients. The significance of immunological alterations in both groups of mental diso rders was verified hut the causes for these alterations remain unclear and need further research.