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Journal Article 2014; 35(2): 159-169 PubMed PMID: 24878973 Citation  Keywords:  Aged, Cytokines:blood, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2:blood, Female, Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated:analysis, Humans, Interleukin-12:blood, Interleukin-6:blood, Male, Mental Disorders:blood, Middle Aged, Psychometrics, Surveys and Questionnaires, Tumor Necrosis Fa.   

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of IL-6, IL-12, and TNF-α with trait and state psychological factors in type 2 diabetic patients.

DESIGN: Patients were divided in two groups. Group A consisted of 86 controlled diabetic patients (HbA1c<7) and the Group B consisted of 45 uncontrolled diabetic patients (HbA1c ≥ 7).

SETTINGS: During the initial phase of the study (T0), blood samples were taken for measuring IL-6, IL-12 and TNF-α serum levels as well as a battery of psychometric instruments. One year later (T1), the uncontrolled diabetic patients were re-evaluated with the use of the same psychometric instruments and with the identical blood analysis.

RESULTS: The average values of tnf-α were significantly different among controlled (7.73 ± 5.51) and uncontrolled patients (9.29 ± 4.52) at a significance level of 5% (p=0.009). Controlled diabetic patients show a statistically significant relationship between IL-6 and neuroticism (rp=0.303, p=0.010), and between IL-12 and psychotism, (rsp=0.382, p=0.001). Controlled diabetic patients show a statistically significant relationship between IL-12 and the act out hostility (rsp=-0.307, p=0.009). The scores of the psychometric tests differ significantly between the first and second evaluation. Acting out hostility and the direction of hostility increased when HbA1c values fell below the threshold of 7, while the total hostility index, as well as all other scales, dropped when patients controlled their metabolic profile.

CONCLUSIONS: The present results provide evidence that IL-6, IL-12 and TNF-α are closely related to the course and treatment of type 2 diabetes....

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Journal Article 2012; 33(2): 224-235 PubMed PMID: 22592206 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Estrogens:blood, Female, Humans, Hydrocortisone:blood, Intelligence:physiology, Intelligence Tests:statistics & numerical data, Male, Memory:physiology, Mental Disorders:blood, Military Personnel:psychology, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales:statist.   

BACKGROUND: Cortisol, along with other hormones of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, belongs to one of the main factors influencing psychological and pathognomic factors, intelligence, and memory.

METHODS: The aim of our study was to review a large battery of psychological, performance, IQ and memory tests as to their relation with cortisol, testosterone and estrogen levels in groups of 100 men and 93 women who attended the Central Military Hospital in Prague for regular entrance psychological examinations for military personnel.

RESULTS: In men, we detected positive correlations between cortisol and emotional lability, and negative correlations with impulsivity, while in women hypochondria and psychopathology were negatively correlated, and aggression measured with the Meili selective memory test had a positive relation to cortisol level. Testosterone correlated positively with emotional liability and negatively with impulsivity in men, and negatively with hypochondria and psychasteny, indirect aggression, irritability and paranoia in women. Estradiol correlated positively with psychopathology in men, and negatively with phobia. It was positively correlated with negativism in women. No clear correlation was observed between the concentration of steroid hormones and psychomotor performance or intelligence.

CONCLUSIONS: Concentrations of steroid hormones correlate with results of several psychological tests, the sign and magnitude of these correlations, however, very often differ in military men and women....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(5): 604-609 PubMed PMID: 20035263 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Animals, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity:blood, Biomarkers:metabolism, Child, Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase:blood, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Disorders:blood,.   

BACKGROUND: Developmental study of dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems in child psychiatric disorders are rare. DBH activity is one of noradrenergic biochemical marker that is correlate in psychiatry to clinical and genetic data.

OBJECTIVES: The main aim of the present study was to measure DBH activity at the onset of acute schizophrenia and depressive disorder in children and adolescents without pharmacological treatment and to compare these values with DBH activity in healthy controls. The authors also investigated untreated ADHD children.

METHODS: We examined 42 control healthy children, 15 children non-treated with acute schizophrenia, 15 non-treated children with acute depressive disorders and 30 non-treated ADHD children, all in age 7-14. Plasma DBH level was provided by Nagatsu (1972; 1974). Depressed children were reexamined after clinical remission.

RESULTS: DBH activity is statistically significantly decreased in non-treated depressive disorder and ADHD in children and adolescents. DBH activity is normalised during antidepressant therapy in child depression. Child schizophrenia patients present with normal DBH activity.

CONCLUSION: These results are similar to the results that have been observed in adult patients with schizophrenia and depression and in previous studies of DBH activity in children with ADHD. These results also indicate hypoactivity of the noradrenergic system in children with ADHD and depression....

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