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Phobic neurosis and ABO blood types
Phobic Neurosis and ABO Blood Types Pantelis
Rinieris, Andreas
Rabavilas, George Costas Stefanis
N. Christodoulou,
REVIOUS STUDIES suggest that patients with compulsive neurosis or hysteria demonstrate a higher phenotype A and a lower incidence of blood phenotype 0, representative sample of the general population.‘,’ In this obtained from the investigation of a possible assoication neurosis and ABO blood types are presented.
P
MATERIALS
and
either obsessiveincidence of blood as compared to a article, the results between phobic
AND METHODS
Seventy-three (35 female and 38 male) adult patients suffering from phobic neurosis were investigated. The diagnosis was made by two independent psychiatrists (Rinieris and Rabavilas) utilizing the diagnostic criteria of Feighner and associates3 According to these authors,$ the following criteria are required for a diagnosis of phobic neurosis to be made: (1) clinical picture should be dominated by persistent and recurring fears that the patients try to resist or avoid and at the same time consider unreasonable, while the onset of such manifestations should be placed prior to the age of 40 yr; and (2) although anxiety, tension, nervousness, and depression may accompany the phobias, other forms of psychiatric illness should be excluded. The present material was divided into three groups, following Marks’d classification of phobic disorders: (1) patients with phobias related to external stimuli (i.e., agoraphobia, social phobias, animal phobias. etc.), (2) patients with phobias related to internal stimuli (i.e., illness phobias). and (3) patients with phobias concerning both external and internal stimuli. Thus, 29 patients were classified in the first group, 27 patients in the second, and 17 patients in the last group. ABO blood types were determined on a blind basis by a single technician who had extensive blood typing laboratory experience. The typing was carried out by the standard method adopted by most transfusion centers.3 To compare our findings with a control sample we used the data provided by Valaoras” on ABO blood type distribution in the Greek population. For the statistical evaluation of our findings the chi-square test was used.
RESULTS
Table 1 shows the distribution of ABO blood types in the subgroups of patients with phobias related to external, internal, or both external and internal stimuli, in the female and male subgroups, in the total sample, and in the control sample. No significant differences were found between patients with phobias related to external, internal, or both external and internal stimuli, as well as between
From the Department of Psychiatry, Athens University Medical School, E,qinition Hospital, Athens, Greece Pantelis Rinieris, M.D.: Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Athens University; Andreas Rabavilas, M.D.: Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Athens University; George N. Christodoulou, M.D.: Associate Professor, Depariment of Psychiatry, Athens University; Costas Stefanis, M.D.: Professor of Psychiatp and Chairman. Department of Psychiatry, Athens University. Address reprint requests to Pantelis Rinieris. M.D., Department of Psychiatry. Athens University Medical School, Eginition Hospital, 74 Vas. Sophias Avenue. Athens. Greece. @ 1980 by Grune & Stratton, Inc. 0010_140Xl80/2103-OOO9$Ol.OOlO Comprehensive
Psychiatry,
Vol. 21, No. 3 (May/June),
1980
245
RINIERIS ET AL.
246 Table
1. Distribution
of ABO Blood Types in 73 Patjents With Phobic Neurosis A6
Group Patients with phobias related to external stimuli (n = 29) Patients with phobias related to internal stimuli (n = 27) Patients with phobias concerning both external and internal stimuli (n = 17) Females (n = 35) Males In = 36) Total patients (n = 73) Controls (n = 304,317)
female patients stimuli, control
n
A %
”
B
56
”
0
%
”
96
2
6.9
5
17.2
2
6.9
20
69.0
2
7.4
8
29.6
2
7.4
15
55.6
1 3 2 5 15,277
5.9 8.6 5.3 6.8 5.0
3 9 9 18 122,275
17.6 25.7 23.7 24.7 40.2
2 3 3 6 42,452
11.6 8.6 7.9 0.2 13.9
11 20 24 44 124,313
64.7 57.1 63.1 60.3 40.8
and male patients in relation to their ABO blood type distribution with phobias related to external, internal, or both external and internal in the female and male subgroups, in the total sample, and in the sample. DISCUSSION
A significantly higher incidence of blood type 0 and a significantly lower incidence of blood type A were found in our patients with phobic neuroses than in controls. Sex and type of phobia differences were insignificant as far as ABO blood type distribution was concerned. Results of the present study provide evidence of a positive association between phobic neurosis and blood type 0 and a corresponding negative association between the former and blood type A. These findings, together with previous findings concerning associations between ABO blood types and other neurotic conditions,‘a2 support the view that hereditary factors may contribute to the development of neurotic behavior. REFERENCES 1. Rinieris PM, Stefanis CN, Rabavilas AD, et al: Obsessive-compulsive neurosis, anancastic symptomatology and ABO blood types. Acta Psychiatr Stand 57:377-381, 1978 2. Rinieris PM, Stefanis CN, Lykouras EP, et al: Hysteria and ABO blood types. Am J Psychiatry 135:1106-1107, 1978 3. Feighner JP, Robins E, Guze SB, et al:
Diagnostic criteria for use in psychiatric research. Arch Gen Psychiatry 26:57-63, 1972 4. Marks IM: The classification of phobic disorders. Br J Psychiatry 116:377-386, 1970 5. Race RR, Sanger R: Blood Groups in Man. Oxford, Blackwell Scientific, 1958 6. Valaoras VG: Biometric studies of army conscripts in Greece. Hum Biol 42:184-201, 1970
Rinieris, Andreas
Rabavilas, George Costas Stefanis
N. Christodoulou,
REVIOUS STUDIES suggest that patients with compulsive neurosis or hysteria demonstrate a higher phenotype A and a lower incidence of blood phenotype 0, representative sample of the general population.‘,’ In this obtained from the investigation of a possible assoication neurosis and ABO blood types are presented.
P
MATERIALS
and
either obsessiveincidence of blood as compared to a article, the results between phobic
AND METHODS
Seventy-three (35 female and 38 male) adult patients suffering from phobic neurosis were investigated. The diagnosis was made by two independent psychiatrists (Rinieris and Rabavilas) utilizing the diagnostic criteria of Feighner and associates3 According to these authors,$ the following criteria are required for a diagnosis of phobic neurosis to be made: (1) clinical picture should be dominated by persistent and recurring fears that the patients try to resist or avoid and at the same time consider unreasonable, while the onset of such manifestations should be placed prior to the age of 40 yr; and (2) although anxiety, tension, nervousness, and depression may accompany the phobias, other forms of psychiatric illness should be excluded. The present material was divided into three groups, following Marks’d classification of phobic disorders: (1) patients with phobias related to external stimuli (i.e., agoraphobia, social phobias, animal phobias. etc.), (2) patients with phobias related to internal stimuli (i.e., illness phobias). and (3) patients with phobias concerning both external and internal stimuli. Thus, 29 patients were classified in the first group, 27 patients in the second, and 17 patients in the last group. ABO blood types were determined on a blind basis by a single technician who had extensive blood typing laboratory experience. The typing was carried out by the standard method adopted by most transfusion centers.3 To compare our findings with a control sample we used the data provided by Valaoras” on ABO blood type distribution in the Greek population. For the statistical evaluation of our findings the chi-square test was used.
RESULTS
Table 1 shows the distribution of ABO blood types in the subgroups of patients with phobias related to external, internal, or both external and internal stimuli, in the female and male subgroups, in the total sample, and in the control sample. No significant differences were found between patients with phobias related to external, internal, or both external and internal stimuli, as well as between
From the Department of Psychiatry, Athens University Medical School, E,qinition Hospital, Athens, Greece Pantelis Rinieris, M.D.: Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Athens University; Andreas Rabavilas, M.D.: Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Athens University; George N. Christodoulou, M.D.: Associate Professor, Depariment of Psychiatry, Athens University; Costas Stefanis, M.D.: Professor of Psychiatp and Chairman. Department of Psychiatry, Athens University. Address reprint requests to Pantelis Rinieris. M.D., Department of Psychiatry. Athens University Medical School, Eginition Hospital, 74 Vas. Sophias Avenue. Athens. Greece. @ 1980 by Grune & Stratton, Inc. 0010_140Xl80/2103-OOO9$Ol.OOlO Comprehensive
Psychiatry,
Vol. 21, No. 3 (May/June),
1980
245
RINIERIS ET AL.
246 Table
1. Distribution
of ABO Blood Types in 73 Patjents With Phobic Neurosis A6
Group Patients with phobias related to external stimuli (n = 29) Patients with phobias related to internal stimuli (n = 27) Patients with phobias concerning both external and internal stimuli (n = 17) Females (n = 35) Males In = 36) Total patients (n = 73) Controls (n = 304,317)
female patients stimuli, control
n
A %
”
B
56
”
0
%
”
96
2
6.9
5
17.2
2
6.9
20
69.0
2
7.4
8
29.6
2
7.4
15
55.6
1 3 2 5 15,277
5.9 8.6 5.3 6.8 5.0
3 9 9 18 122,275
17.6 25.7 23.7 24.7 40.2
2 3 3 6 42,452
11.6 8.6 7.9 0.2 13.9
11 20 24 44 124,313
64.7 57.1 63.1 60.3 40.8
and male patients in relation to their ABO blood type distribution with phobias related to external, internal, or both external and internal in the female and male subgroups, in the total sample, and in the sample. DISCUSSION
A significantly higher incidence of blood type 0 and a significantly lower incidence of blood type A were found in our patients with phobic neuroses than in controls. Sex and type of phobia differences were insignificant as far as ABO blood type distribution was concerned. Results of the present study provide evidence of a positive association between phobic neurosis and blood type 0 and a corresponding negative association between the former and blood type A. These findings, together with previous findings concerning associations between ABO blood types and other neurotic conditions,‘a2 support the view that hereditary factors may contribute to the development of neurotic behavior. REFERENCES 1. Rinieris PM, Stefanis CN, Rabavilas AD, et al: Obsessive-compulsive neurosis, anancastic symptomatology and ABO blood types. Acta Psychiatr Stand 57:377-381, 1978 2. Rinieris PM, Stefanis CN, Lykouras EP, et al: Hysteria and ABO blood types. Am J Psychiatry 135:1106-1107, 1978 3. Feighner JP, Robins E, Guze SB, et al:
Diagnostic criteria for use in psychiatric research. Arch Gen Psychiatry 26:57-63, 1972 4. Marks IM: The classification of phobic disorders. Br J Psychiatry 116:377-386, 1970 5. Race RR, Sanger R: Blood Groups in Man. Oxford, Blackwell Scientific, 1958 6. Valaoras VG: Biometric studies of army conscripts in Greece. Hum Biol 42:184-201, 1970