Abstract
The relationship between the psychological and immunological state in patients with
atopic dermatitis was investigated. It was found that patients with atopic dermatitis
are significantly more depressive and scored higher for state anxiety (P<0.05) than the normal control group. They also tended to be more psychosomatic symptom-prone
and to score higher for trait anxiety. NK activity in patients with atopic dermatitis
was significantly lower than in normal controls (P<0.01), while serum IFN-γ levels tended to be slightly higher and serum IL-4 levels somewhat lower. No significant
correlation was detected between any pair of psychological test/immunological examination
for either patients or normal controls. However, in the examination of path analyses,
psychological variables affect serum levels of IFN-γ and IL-4 more in the patients than the normal controls. Only STAI(T) and (S) affect
NK activity in atopic dermatitis patients. By a discriminant analysis, NK cell activity
and serum IFN-γ appeared statistically significant. We conclude that the psychological state is to
some extent related to the immunological state.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
August 28,
1997
Received in revised form:
August 28,
1997
Received:
January 29,
1997
Identification
Copyright
© 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
