Biomedical subjects

M H Antoni

Publications and source records attributed to M H Antoni.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1993

Defensiveness, trait anxiety, and Epstein-Barr viral capsid antigen antibody titers in healthy college students.

The relationship of individual differences in repressive coping styles with differences in antibody titer to Epstein-Barr viral capsid antigen (EBV-VCA) were investigated in a normal, healthy college population made up of people previously exposed to EBV. Each of 54 1st-year undergraduates completed a battery of physical-status questions and items pertaining to potential behavioral immunomodulatory confounds, along with the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale (T-MAS) and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MC-SDS). Ss reporting high and middle levels of anxiety had higher antibody titers to EBV, suggesting poorer immune control over the latent virus, as compared with the low-anxious group. Similarly, high-defensive Ss had higher antibody titers than their low-defensive counterparts, and neither group differed from the middle group.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Psychoneuroimmunological aspects of disease progression among women with human papillomavirus-associated cervical dysplasia and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 co-infection.

OBJECTIVE: Psychosocial associations have been observed with level of cervical dysplasia or "pre-cancer" and invasive cervical cancer [related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection]. Psychoneuroimmunological relationships have been observed in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, which is being described in an increasing number of women. Our objective was to review these relationships regarding effects that might be expected in HIV-1 and HPV co-infected women. METHOD: This review was based on a Medline literature search supplemented by a manual search of selected journals unrepresented in that database. RESULTS: Relationships of psychosocial factors and level of cervical dysplasia were similarly observed with reference to immunological and health status in asymptomatic and early symptomatic HIV-1 infected homosexual men, suggesting that a potentiating effect may occur in HIV-1 and HPV co-infected women. Consistency of relationships across studies appeared to be enhanced by the use of a biopsychosocial model integrating the effects of life stressors, social support and coping style as well as psychiatric disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Research is indicated on the relationships between psychosocial factors, immunological status and clinical health status in this group of women. Because of the high prevalence of psychosocial risk factors for chronic psychological distress in these women and the known immunological and health status decrements occurring with progression of these two infections, a clinical screening program based on the biopsychosocial model is recommended as a means of secondary prevention. If effective in generating treatment referrals, such a program would likely improve quality of life and could aid in the determination of relationships with immunological and health status as well.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1991

Disparities in psychological, neuroendocrine, and immunologic patterns in asymptomatic HIV-1 seropositive and seronegative gay men.

The present study concurrently measured psychological distress (state anxiety, depression, confusion, and intrusive thoughts), neuroendocrine (plasma cortisol concentrations), and immunologic [lymphocyte proliferative responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM)] changes in the 5-week periods preceding and following serostatus notification among asymptomatic Human Immunodeficiency Virus-type 1 (HIV-1) seropositive and seronegative gay men. Seropositives, as opposed to seronegatives, showed a disparity in predicted relationships among distress, cortisol, and immunologic measures across the prenotification to postnotification period. Individual difference analyses suggested that among seropositives, in contrast to seronegatives, plasma cortisol concentrations were negatively correlated with psychological distress and positively correlated with responses to PHA (assessed at study entry and after serostatus notification). This pattern in seropositives could not be explained by differences in prenotification perceived risk of infectivity, extraneous environmental stressors, or CD4 cell counts within the seropositive group.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗

PubMed1991

Patient-reported sexual symptomatology in predicting functional and insufficient erectile capacity.

We evaluated the clinical utility of patient-reported erectile functioning information in discriminating Rigiscan-determined functional (greater than or equal to 70% penile tip and base rigidity and greater than or equal to 10 minutes' duration) from insufficient (less than 40% penile tip and base rigidity and less than or equal to 6 minutes' duration) erectile capacity, in a population of chronically ill men presenting with erectile dysfunction. Forty-three male veterans completed an extensive medical and psychologic evaluation, including a detailed assessment of sexual functioning, and then underwent two consecutive nights of supervised in-hospital Rigiscan sleep evaluations. Results of discriminant function analysis indicated that patient reports of morning erections and ejaculatory ability accurately predicted group membership for functional (96.7%) and insufficient (100%) categories. Careful attention to patient self-report is suggested for the urologist's initial appraisal of erectile dysfunction in populations of older, chronically ill men.

Erectile Dysfunction↗

PubMed1991

The predictive significance of patient-reported sexual functioning in RigiScan sleep evaluations.

We evaluated the relevance of patient reported sex history information in predicting erectile functioning as measured by the RigiScan monitor. A total of 46 male veterans who presented with erectile dysfunction completed an extensive medical and psychological evaluation including a sexual history, and then underwent 2 consecutive nights of inhospital RigiScan sleep evaluation performed under supervision. Multivariate analyses indicated a significant relationship among patient reported sex history information, and RigiScan measurements of tip and base duration, and rigidity. The sex history item with the greatest predictive power was the question regarding early morning erections. The results of this study highlight the importance of patient reported information, and the significance of obtaining a detailed sex history in the evaluation of older, primarily chronically ill patients who present with erectile dysfunction.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Cognitive-behavioral stress management intervention buffers distress responses and immunologic changes following notification of HIV-1 seropositivity.

Forty-seven asymptomatic, healthy gay men were randomly assigned to a cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM) condition or an assessment-only control group 5 weeks before being notified of their HIV-1 antibody status. Seventy-two hours before and 1 week after serostatus notification, blood samples and psychometric data were collected. Control subjects showed significant increases in depression, but only slight decrements in mitogen responsivity and lymphocyte cell counts pre- to postnotification of seropositivity. Seropositive CBSM Ss did not show significant pre-post changes in depression, but did reveal significant increases in helper-inducer (CD4) and natural killer (CD56) cell counts as well as a slight increment in proliferative responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Individual difference analyses suggest that the psychological buffering and immunomodulating effects of the CBSM manipulation may be attributable, in part, to relaxation skills learned and practiced or to a general willingness to comply with the intervention guidelines.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗

PubMed1991

Aerobic exercise training in an AIDS risk group.

Increases in physical fitness are often associated with improvements in certain chronic diseases, such as hypertension and coronary heart disease. Recent evidence has shown that exercise also influences the neuroendocrine and immune systems, resulting in a potential to benefit those with chronic immunodeficiency diseases. Therefore, exercise may prove to have a profound impact on the management of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Our current work includes the investigation of the immunologic and stress-attenuating effects of an aerobic exercise training program for individuals at risk for AIDS. Upon completion of training, the subjects showed a significant increase in helper/inducer (CD4) cells and the inducer subset (CD45RA+CD4+) which activate suppressor/cytotoxic (CD8) cells. These increases, which average about 50 cells per cubic millimeter, are comparable to those observed in some studies of the AIDS drug comparable to those observed in some studies of the AIDS drug azidothymidine (AZT), but without the accompanying side effects. Also, individuals undergoing aerobic training reported no increases in anxiety and depression in response to notification of a positive HIV-1 serologic status. These findings taken together indicate that an aerobic exercise training program may enhance certain critical components of cellular immunity as well as acting as a buffer for the detrimental mood changes that typically accompany stress, thus providing a timely, promising behavioral approach to helping HIV-1-infected individuals.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1991

Assessment of erectile dysfunction in diabetic men: the clinical relevance of self-reported sexual functioning.

Diabetes mellitus is commonly associated with erectile dysfunction (ED). Fifty-three diabetic male veterans presenting with ED underwent an extensive medical examination, psychological evaluation, and a detailed assessment of sexual functioning. They then underwent two consecutive nights of inhospital Rigiscan monitoring to assess erectile capacity. Multivariate analyses indicated that patient reports of a.m. erections and erectile quality were highly predictive of Rigiscan measures of penile tip and base rigidity and duration of erectile episodes. These results highlight the importance of attending to patient reports of specific sexual symptomatology in the evaluation of diabetic patients presenting with ED.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Immunologic function in a cohort of human immunodeficiency virus type 1-seropositive and -negative healthy homosexual men.

The study objectives were to determine the early effects of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection on both phenotypic and functional immunologic markers in healthy homosexual men, to ascertain the relationships of these markers to each other, and to discover which markers were affected by enrollment in an AIDS study in which HIV-1 serostatus would be determined. The major findings were as follows. (i) The CD4/CD8 ratio and lymphocyte proliferative response to pokeweed mitogen were the characteristics most affected by early HIV-1 infection. (ii) The loss in CD4 cells observed in the HIV-1-positive homosexual men was entirely due to diminished numbers of the memory subset. CD4+ CD29+. The reciprocal subset of CD4, CD4+ CD45RA+, did not differ in the two groups of homosexual men at either time point or in the controls. (iii) Prior to learning their HIV-1 serostatus, HIV-1 antibody-negative risk-group males had lower phytohemagglutinin (PHA) responses than the controls did. In the assays following notification of their seronegativity, however, these men had PHA values which were not different from those of the controls. In the HIV-1-positive group, the responses to both PHA and pokeweed mitogen were below those of both HIV-1-negative groups and did not change after serostatus notification. (iv) The activity of natural killer cells was lower in the risk-group men than in the controls at both pre- and postdiagnosis but was not related to HIV-1 serostatus. (v) In this cohort of homosexual men, the CD4/CD8 ratio correlated significantly with the functional measures of immunologic status in the HIV-1-positive men, but not in the HIV-1-negative men.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1990

Exercise intervention attenuates emotional distress and natural killer cell decrements following notification of positive serologic status for HIV-1.

The impact of aerobic exercise training as a buffer of the affective distress and immune decrements which accompany the notification of HIV-1 antibody status in an AIDS risk group was studied. Fifty asymptomatic gay males with a pretraining fitness level of average or below (determined by predicted VO2 max) were randomly assigned to either an aerobic exercise training program or a no-contact control condition. After five weeks of training, at a point 72 hours before serostatus notification, psychometric, fitness and immunologic data were collected on all subjects. Psychometric and immunologic measures were again collected one-week postnotification. Seropositive controls showed significant increases in anxiety and depression, as well as decrements in natural killer cell number following notification whereas, seropositive exercisers showed no similar changes and in fact, resembled both seronegative groups. These findings suggest that concurrent changes in some affective and immunologic measures in response to an acute stressor might be attenuated by an experimentally manipulated aerobic exercise training intervention.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Psychoneuroimmunology and HIV-1.

Recent psychoneuroimmunologic findings have suggested that it may be useful to evaluate the influence of behavioral factors on immune functioning and disease progression among human immunodeficiency virus-Type 1 (HIV-1) infected individuals. Behavioral interventions with immunomodulatory capabilities may help restore competence and thereby arrest HIV-1 disease promotion at the earliest stages of the infectious continuum. Evidence describing benefits of behavioral interventions such as aerobic exercise training on both psychological and immunological functioning among high-risk HIV-1 seronegative and very early stage seropositive gay men is presented. The HIV-1 infection is cast as a chronic disease for which early immunomodulatory behavioral interventions may have important physical and psychological impact.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1989

Host moderator variables in the promotion of cervical neoplasia--II. Dimensions of life stress.

Controllability and predictability have been shown to mediate the aversive impact of life events on health. This study examined the relationship of these parameters (along with coping style) to the promotion of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) to invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. Seventy-five female patients participated while awaiting the results of colposcopically directed biopsy performed during work-up of an abnormal Pap smear. The Million Behavioral Health Inventory, a modified form of the Life Experience Survey, and a semi-structured interview were administered before subjects learned of their biopsy results. Subjects defined as susceptible by previous research had positive (through generally nonsignificant) correlations between life events and promotion while resilient subjects had negative correlations. The relationship between controllability of life events and CIN was moderated beneficially by a sociable and confident style and detrimentally by an inhibited style and a pessimistic attitude. Life event predictability did not contribute to CIN promotion beyond the effects of controllability.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1988

Host moderator variables in the promotion of cervical neoplasia--I. Personality facets.

Recent work has established an association between coping style (in interaction with psychosocial stress) and the degree of promotion of cervical carcinogenesis. The present study sought to expand upon these findings by attempting to identify psychosocial host variables which predicted susceptibility (greater promotion) vs resilience (less promotion) in women who were at risk due to the presence of initiating factors. A susceptible group were passive, pessimistic, conforming, avoiding, and somatically anxious, while a resilient group were more optimistic and employed more active coping styles. Results supported the notion that promotion of cervical carcinogenesis may be associated with specific host personality and coping styles.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1986

Stress and hopelessness in the promotion of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia to invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.

Stress and hopelessness have been associated with the development of invasive cervical cancer by previous research. Subjects in this study were recruited from a colposcopy clinic awaiting work-up of an abnormal pap smear and from those admitted to an in-patient gynecology ward for cone biopsy of the cervix or hysterectomy to treat a symptomatic pelvic mass thought to be uterine leiomyomas. After data collection, pathology reports and colposcopic findings were used to determine group assignment independent of subjects' knowledge of their diagnosis. A modest stress-promotion correlation was derived, which was greatly enhanced by significant interactions with low levels of cooperative coping style and for high levels of premorbid pessimism, future despair, somatic anxiety, and life threat reactivity. These stress-moderator interactions are discussed in terms of immune system deficit with concomitant enhancement of promotion of CIN to invasive squamous cell cervical cancer.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1985

Temporal relationship between life events and two illness measures: a cross-lagged panel analysis.

Stressful life events were correlated with two separate illness measures among naval submarine school students. The two illness measures were self-reported health symptoms, and illnesses recorded in the subjects' medical files. Life events, self-reported symptoms, and medical record illnesses were separated into two time blocks and subjected to a cross-lagged panel analysis in order to assess the temporal relationships among them. A significant positive relationship was shown between negative life events experienced 7-12 months prior to testing and medical record illnesses experienced 0-6 months prior to testing. A comparable relationship was not found for negative events and self-reported symptoms. The results support the view that negative life events increase susceptibility to actual illness onset. They also question the accuracy of self-report measures of illness.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Life events, social support, and illness.

Positive and negative life events and social support were correlated with illness among Navy Submarine School students. Negative, but not positive, life events in the recent past were related to reports of illness. Although social support by itself was not related to illness reports, the relationship between negative life events and illness was stronger among subjects with low rather than high levels of social support. The results suggest the importance of assessing both stressful life events and moderators of response to stress, such as social support, in investigating the role played by personality in illness.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Emotional repression, stress disclosure responses, and Epstein-Barr viral capsid antigen titers.

Based on the theory of psychosomatic inhibition, we hypothesized that subjects who abstained from disclosing emotional material on a laboratory task would have poorer control of latent Epstein-Barr virus (as evidenced by high titers for the viral capsid antigen), and similarly, those subjects with psychometrically derived repressive interpersonal styles would show the highest Epstein-Barr viral capsid antigen titers (EBV-VCA). Eighty first-year undergraduates completed a personality inventory and were asked to write an essay/letter for 30 minutes about a stressful event that had happened in their life. Blood was collected from each subject immediately after writing. Essays were scored for degree of emotional disclosure according to the ratio of emotional-to-total words used. Degree of disclosure was found to be associated with impaired control of latent EBV (high antibody titers to the EBV-VCA) controlling for medication use, recent sleep loss, physical activity, lean body mass, caloric intake, and alcohol and recreational drug use. Further, individual differences in interpersonal style (characterized by emotional suppression) related to this immunologic marker in a similar fashion, and these two factors interacted in determining EBV-VCA titers. That is, Repressors who were either high or low disclosers had high levels of antibody titer to EBV-VCA, whereas only those Sensitizers who did not disclose had high antibody titers to EBV-VCA. In addition to supporting the hypothesis that emotional repression is associated with some aspects of host-virus interaction, the present findings highlight the importance of obtaining behavioral and psychometric assessments in psychoimmunologic investigations of this abstract affective construct (i.e., repression).

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Psychological and neuroendocrine measures related to functional immune changes in anticipation of HIV-1 serostatus notification.

Our previous work indicated that gay males ultimately found to be seronegative showed impaired lymphocyte proliferative responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) upon entering a study in which they would be notified of their human immunodeficiency virus-Type 1 (HIV-1) antibody status. To examine the degree to which alterations in various neuroendocrine and psychological markers might be related to this phenomenon we measured plasma cortisol, beta-endorphin, denial coping strategies, intrusive thoughts related to AIDS risk, and several affective distress markers in 46 HIV-1 seronegative subjects at each of the timepoints previously studied. Results indicated that cortisol levels were elevated at study entry and decreased across the subsequent five-week period--mirroring the changes in mitogen responsivity across these timepoints. Analyses of individual differences showed that higher baseline cortisol and lower denial coping scores predicted lower PHA values at baseline. Persisting intrusive thoughts about risk of HIV-1 infectivity (after seronegativity notification) were consistently associated with higher plasma cortisol levels. Finally, beta-endorphin levels did not change significantly across the 10-week observation period, were not associated with psychological variables, and were inconsistently associated with immune functioning.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗