Lymphocyte Subsets and Mood States in Panic Disorder Patients

• Published in: Journal of Korean medical science 2005, 20(2), , pp.215-219
• Main Authors: Park Joo Eon, Kim Sang Wook, Park Quehn, Jeong Do Un, Yu Bum Hee
• Format: Article
• Language: Korean
• Subjects: 의학일반
• ISSN: 1011-8934; 1598-6357

This study was conducted to examine lymphocyte subset counts and mood states in panic disorder patients. Twenty patients with panic disorder and 20 age- and gen-der- matched normal healthy subjects were recruited for the study. We used the Spiel-berger State (STAIS) & Trait (STAIT) Anxiety Inventory, Hamilton Depression Rat-ing scale (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating scale (HAMA) to measure mood states in all subjects. Lymphocyte subsets counts were made by flow cytometry. Panic patients showed significantly higher scores for anxiety and depression than normal subjects. Panic patients showed no differences in terms of the numbers of immune cells, as compared with normal healthy subjects, other than a lower propor-tion of T suppressor cells and a higher T helper cell/T suppressor cell ratio. HAMA and STAIS scores were common factors that could predict T cell numbers and pro-portions, T helper cell numbers, and natural killer cell proportions in panic disorder patients. We suggest that anxiety levels are related to the T-cell population in panic disorder patients and that quantitative immune differences may reflect altered immu-nity in this disorder. KCI Citation Count: 5