[Association of psychosocial factors and platelet 5-HT with peptic ulcer].

OBJECTIVE

To scrutinize the association of psychosocial factors especially emotional factors with peptic ulcer.

METHODS

Eighty-nine peptic ulcer patients and 50 normal controls were investigated by means of questionnaires for personality, alexithymia, social support, life events, and their platelet 5-HT levels were determined.

RESULTS

By comparison with normal controls, the peptic ulcer patients had: (1) higher scores on the subscales such as Hs, D, Pt, Sc and Hy of personality; (2) Higher scores on HAMA, HAMD and Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS); (3) Significantly lower platelet 5-HT concentration. And in the ulcer patients who were not infected with HP (called HP negative), the area of their ulcer was found to have a positive correlation with HAMA and TAS scores (r=0.74, P<0.01; r=0.45, P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

(1) There was a correlation between the onset of peptic ulcer and personality or manner of emotional expression. (2) There may be two subtypes of ulcer patients: one of it may be due to HP infection and the other may be more closely associated with negative emotion and manner of emotional expression; for the latter one, anxiolytics deserve to be included in the routine treatments.