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172-STRESS INDUCED CHANGES OF CYTOKINES OF T LYMPHOCYTES IN ATOPIC DERMATITIS CONSIDERING IG E LEVELS
Abstracts / Journal of Psychosomatic Research 56 (2004) 581–673
p < .001) as well as positively correlated with difficulties in identifying and describing feelings (r = .384, p < .001 and r = .309, p < .011 respectively) as derived from Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Positive perception of body dynamics was negatively correlated with heart rate reactions during a traumatic reminder (r = .415, p < .001) and positively correlated with vagal tone as assessed by RMSSD which can be regarded as a psychophysiological indicator for self-regulation capacities (r = .317, p < .012). Conclusion: Multiple traumatizations in earlier life are associated with a negative evaluation of the body and with restricted perception of body dynamics. Our results ad empirical data to the discussion about self-regulation development and its vulnerability to traumatizations in early life.
190 TEMPORAL STABILITY OF ALEXITHYMIA - A 5-YEAR FOLLOW-UP STUDY IN GENERAL POPULATION Salminen JK,Saarija¨rvi S, Toikka T, A¨a¨rela¨ E, Kauhanen J. Research Department, Social Insurance Institution, Turku, Finland. Temporal stability of alexithymia has been discussed in recent years. Most studies on this issue are based only on a few months’ follow-up and clinical or otherwise selected populations. For this report, we studied the temporal stability of alexithymia in a general population sample over five years. In 1996, a TAS-20 questionnaire was sent to 2,000 Finnish people (18 – 64 years). The response rate was 64% (n = 1,285). In 2001, the TAS-20 questionnaire was again sent to the 1,285 respondents. A total of 940 subjects (73.2%) responded. The TAS-20 scores of the respondents (M = 400; F = 540) at the baseline and at the followup were compared. Results: In men the mean TAS-20 score was 48.5 at the baseline and 47.4 at the follow-up ( p = .027), and in women 44.2 and 42.8, respectively ( p = .001). Pearson’s correlation coefficient for the scores at the baseline and at the follow-up was 0.666 in men and 0.652 in women. Prevalence of alexithymia ( = score of 61 or more) was 13% in the whole population (M 17%; F 10%) at the baseline, and 11% (M 14%; F 8%) at the follow-up. Gender difference for the prevalence of alexithymia was significant both at the baseline ( p = .006) and at the follow-up ( p = .006). Conclusions: Despite the slightly lower mean TAS-20 scores at the follow-up than at the baseline, the correlation between the scores was high. It is concluded that alexithymia is a rather stable psychological characteristic in general population, when assessed over several years. The gender difference in the prevalence of alexithymia also seems to persist.
172 STRESS INDUCED CHANGES OF CYTOKINES OF T LYMPHOCYTES IN ATOPIC DERMATITIS CONSIDERING IG E LEVELS Schmid-Ott G. Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. Objective: Multiple exogenous and endogenous provocation factors such as psychological stress can induce the exacerbation of atopic dermatitis (AD). In addition to CD4+ T-helper cells and CD8+ T-lymphocytes IgE is suggested to be important for the pathophysiology of AD. Thus, the focus of this study is to compare
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the effects of acute psychological stress on illness-specific immunological parameters in AD patients with high IgE levels and healthy controls (HC). Methods: Patients with AD (n = 15) and HC (n = 15) were exposed to a brief laboratory stressor (public speaking and mental arithmetic). In vitro analyses were done 1 hour before, immediately after and 1 hour after stress exposure. Lymphocytes and intracellular cytokines in blood-derived lymphocytes were analysed by flow cytometry. Previously published Data comparing the whole groups of AD patients and HC (n = 15 each) were reanalysed by dividing the AD sample into two subgroups, discriminating patients with a high level (n = 6) versus a low level (n = 9) of IgE (cutoff=1000 kU/l). Results: A significant interaction effect for stimulated IL-5 positive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells could be shown (pI < 0.05), indicating a significant elevated number and a pronounced stress-induced increase of these cell types in AD patients with high IgE levels compared to HC. In addition, a trend (pI < 0.1) was observed for IL4 in the supernatant with more marked stress-induced changes in AD patients. Conclusions: This reanalysis shows that there are different immunological influences of psychological stress in patients with high and low IgE levels.
159 EMOTIONS, CARDIOVASCULAR REACTIVITY AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN EVERYDAY LIFE IN HEALTHY YOUNG WOMEN Schmidt T, Schulze B, Weidemann F. Department of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Hannover Medical University, Hannover, Germany. In this study cardiovascular reactivity in healthy young women was investigated in relation to emotions and blood pressure (BP) in daily life. High and low reactors assessed during a reaction time task (RTT) were compared according to measures of anger, anxiety, response to stress, family history (FH) of cardiovascular disease, continuous measures of physical activity (multiple calibrated accelerometry), BP and heart rate (HR) during two laboratory test sessions as well as during 24 hours of everyday life using a PORTAPRES model 2. Fifteen high and 15 low reactors, not differing in BP or HR at baseline, were selected from a group of 55 on the basis of their rate pressure product (SBPHR) reactions during the RTT (∆RPP: 90.7 vs. 14.6 mHg/min; p < .001). High and low reactors did not differ significantly regarding age (25.1 years), height, weight, BMI, smoking, alcohol consumption, aerobic fitness or continuous measures of physical activity in daily life during ambulatory BP measurement. Compared to low reactors high reactors showed higher scores for trait anger (STAXI T-A: p < .05; TA/T: p = .03) and trait anxiety (STAI X2: p < .03). Low reactors responded to stress (SVF) with more distraction ( p = .005), control of their reactions ( p = .015), self-affirmation ( p < .03) and guilt defence ( p < .05). High reactors had a FH of hypertension ( p = .03), stroke ( p = .005) and myocardial infarction (MI) ( p = .01). On repeating the laboratory test session after 50 days the high and low reactor groups showed no significant differences regarding measures of BP, HR or RPP reactions during the RTT (∆RPP: 33.5 vs. 24.6 mHg/min; ns). But in daily life high reactors exhibited higher BP measures (122/70 vs. 109/62 mmHg; p = .04/.076)
p < .001) as well as positively correlated with difficulties in identifying and describing feelings (r = .384, p < .001 and r = .309, p < .011 respectively) as derived from Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Positive perception of body dynamics was negatively correlated with heart rate reactions during a traumatic reminder (r = .415, p < .001) and positively correlated with vagal tone as assessed by RMSSD which can be regarded as a psychophysiological indicator for self-regulation capacities (r = .317, p < .012). Conclusion: Multiple traumatizations in earlier life are associated with a negative evaluation of the body and with restricted perception of body dynamics. Our results ad empirical data to the discussion about self-regulation development and its vulnerability to traumatizations in early life.
190 TEMPORAL STABILITY OF ALEXITHYMIA - A 5-YEAR FOLLOW-UP STUDY IN GENERAL POPULATION Salminen JK,Saarija¨rvi S, Toikka T, A¨a¨rela¨ E, Kauhanen J. Research Department, Social Insurance Institution, Turku, Finland. Temporal stability of alexithymia has been discussed in recent years. Most studies on this issue are based only on a few months’ follow-up and clinical or otherwise selected populations. For this report, we studied the temporal stability of alexithymia in a general population sample over five years. In 1996, a TAS-20 questionnaire was sent to 2,000 Finnish people (18 – 64 years). The response rate was 64% (n = 1,285). In 2001, the TAS-20 questionnaire was again sent to the 1,285 respondents. A total of 940 subjects (73.2%) responded. The TAS-20 scores of the respondents (M = 400; F = 540) at the baseline and at the followup were compared. Results: In men the mean TAS-20 score was 48.5 at the baseline and 47.4 at the follow-up ( p = .027), and in women 44.2 and 42.8, respectively ( p = .001). Pearson’s correlation coefficient for the scores at the baseline and at the follow-up was 0.666 in men and 0.652 in women. Prevalence of alexithymia ( = score of 61 or more) was 13% in the whole population (M 17%; F 10%) at the baseline, and 11% (M 14%; F 8%) at the follow-up. Gender difference for the prevalence of alexithymia was significant both at the baseline ( p = .006) and at the follow-up ( p = .006). Conclusions: Despite the slightly lower mean TAS-20 scores at the follow-up than at the baseline, the correlation between the scores was high. It is concluded that alexithymia is a rather stable psychological characteristic in general population, when assessed over several years. The gender difference in the prevalence of alexithymia also seems to persist.
172 STRESS INDUCED CHANGES OF CYTOKINES OF T LYMPHOCYTES IN ATOPIC DERMATITIS CONSIDERING IG E LEVELS Schmid-Ott G. Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. Objective: Multiple exogenous and endogenous provocation factors such as psychological stress can induce the exacerbation of atopic dermatitis (AD). In addition to CD4+ T-helper cells and CD8+ T-lymphocytes IgE is suggested to be important for the pathophysiology of AD. Thus, the focus of this study is to compare
621
the effects of acute psychological stress on illness-specific immunological parameters in AD patients with high IgE levels and healthy controls (HC). Methods: Patients with AD (n = 15) and HC (n = 15) were exposed to a brief laboratory stressor (public speaking and mental arithmetic). In vitro analyses were done 1 hour before, immediately after and 1 hour after stress exposure. Lymphocytes and intracellular cytokines in blood-derived lymphocytes were analysed by flow cytometry. Previously published Data comparing the whole groups of AD patients and HC (n = 15 each) were reanalysed by dividing the AD sample into two subgroups, discriminating patients with a high level (n = 6) versus a low level (n = 9) of IgE (cutoff=1000 kU/l). Results: A significant interaction effect for stimulated IL-5 positive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells could be shown (pI < 0.05), indicating a significant elevated number and a pronounced stress-induced increase of these cell types in AD patients with high IgE levels compared to HC. In addition, a trend (pI < 0.1) was observed for IL4 in the supernatant with more marked stress-induced changes in AD patients. Conclusions: This reanalysis shows that there are different immunological influences of psychological stress in patients with high and low IgE levels.
159 EMOTIONS, CARDIOVASCULAR REACTIVITY AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN EVERYDAY LIFE IN HEALTHY YOUNG WOMEN Schmidt T, Schulze B, Weidemann F. Department of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Hannover Medical University, Hannover, Germany. In this study cardiovascular reactivity in healthy young women was investigated in relation to emotions and blood pressure (BP) in daily life. High and low reactors assessed during a reaction time task (RTT) were compared according to measures of anger, anxiety, response to stress, family history (FH) of cardiovascular disease, continuous measures of physical activity (multiple calibrated accelerometry), BP and heart rate (HR) during two laboratory test sessions as well as during 24 hours of everyday life using a PORTAPRES model 2. Fifteen high and 15 low reactors, not differing in BP or HR at baseline, were selected from a group of 55 on the basis of their rate pressure product (SBPHR) reactions during the RTT (∆RPP: 90.7 vs. 14.6 mHg/min; p < .001). High and low reactors did not differ significantly regarding age (25.1 years), height, weight, BMI, smoking, alcohol consumption, aerobic fitness or continuous measures of physical activity in daily life during ambulatory BP measurement. Compared to low reactors high reactors showed higher scores for trait anger (STAXI T-A: p < .05; TA/T: p = .03) and trait anxiety (STAI X2: p < .03). Low reactors responded to stress (SVF) with more distraction ( p = .005), control of their reactions ( p = .015), self-affirmation ( p < .03) and guilt defence ( p < .05). High reactors had a FH of hypertension ( p = .03), stroke ( p = .005) and myocardial infarction (MI) ( p = .01). On repeating the laboratory test session after 50 days the high and low reactor groups showed no significant differences regarding measures of BP, HR or RPP reactions during the RTT (∆RPP: 33.5 vs. 24.6 mHg/min; ns). But in daily life high reactors exhibited higher BP measures (122/70 vs. 109/62 mmHg; p = .04/.076)