[MMPI-2 profiles in groups of systemic autoimmune disease - rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus - patients]. / Szisztémás autoimmune betegek - rheumatoid arthritis és szisztémás lupus erythematosus - MMPI-2 profilijának vizsgálata.

OBJECTIVE: Systemic autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are characterized by the alteration of immunological response, which can damage many organs and systems and result in a wide variety of clinical presentations. In addition to physical symptoms, psychiatric disorders are also common to many autoimmune diseases. Anxiety, depression, psychosis and cognitive deficits have the highest prevalence. The aim of this study was to display the degree of psychopathological symptoms in patients with RA and SLE. METHODS: Female inpatients with RA (N=68) and SLE (N=78) were recruited from the Rheumatology and Immunology Clinic of the University of Pecs and were asked to complete the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) and a short demografical form. The clinical personality profiles of the patient groups were explored and compared with each other. RESULTS: High scores (above 64T) were detected on the Hypochondriasis (Hs), Depression (D) and Hysteria (Hy) scales in both groups. Besides, the participants performed elevated scores on the Masculinity-Feminity (Mf), Psychasthenia (Pt) and Social Introversion (Si) clinical scales. They scored in the elevated range on the Physical Malfunctioning, Subjective Depression, Lassitude-Malaise and Somatic Complaints subscales of the neurotic triad. No significant difference was found on the ten clinical scales between the SLE and RA patients. CONCLUSION: Characteristics of MMPI-2 profiles in SLE and RA patients seem to be the consequence of the disease and a common feature of chronic conditions. High scores on the neurotic triad scales may reflect the comorbid psychiatric disorders and the somatic symptoms alike, so further investigations with the revised Hungarian MMPI-2 are needed.

[An analysis of clinical characteristics of forty-six AIDS phobia patients].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the clinical characteristics of AIDS phobia patients and establish the preliminary clinical diagnostic criteria. METHODS: The clinical information of 46 AIDS phobia patients was collected and summarized. General demographic data, clinical manifestations and laboratory results were analyzed. RESULTS: The clinical characteristics of AIDS phobia patients include: (1) With or without high-risk behavior of HIV-1 infection; (2) Patients repeatedly demanded HIV/AIDS related laboratory tests, suspected or believed in HIV-1 infection with daily life affected; (3) The main complaints were non-specific including influenza-like symptoms (headache, sore throat and so on), fasciculation, formication, arthrodynia, fatigue and complaint of fever with normal body temperature; physical examination did not reveal any positive physical sign except white coated tongue; (4) Symptoms mainly appeared 0-3 months after the high-risk behavior while HIV-1 antibody kept negative; (5) T lymphocyte subsets test was carried out in 23 patients and showed 19 (82.6%) with CD(4)(+) T lymphocyte count > 500/µl, the remaining 4 were 300 - 500/µl, with the lowest count of 307/µl. Few patients had inversed CD(4)(+)/CD(8)(+) ratio but without excessive CD(8)(+)T lymphocyte activation. CONCLUSIONS: AIDS phobia is a complicated physical and mental disease, whose diagnosis and treatment still need further investigation.

Dyspepsia in general practice: psychological findings in relation to Helicobacter pylori serum antibodies.

Questionnaire data based on traditional concepts for measuring hypochondriasis and depression were related to serological data on Helicobacter pylori antibodies in 110 of 130 consecutive patients, aged 18-65 yr, consulting for dyspeptic symptoms in general practice. Of the patients thirty-seven (33.6%) and seventy-three (66.4%) were classified as H. pylori positives and H. pylori negatives, respectively, the H. pylori positive patients being significantly older than H. pylori negative patients. Factor analyses of the questionnaire data indicated the heterogeneity of each of the traditional concepts for measuring hypochondriasis and depression but succeeded in differentiating orthogonally between two hypochondriasis factors and three depression factors. Hierarchical regression analyses of factor scores, controlling for the influence of age and sex, indicated higher H. pylori antibody activity to be associated with less hypochondriacal signs of anxiety and uneasiness. It is hypothesized, that in dyspepsia without signs of H. pylori infection, somatization may account to a substantial extent for the illness.