Psychological and immunological associations in men with AIDS pursuing a macrobiotic regimen as an alternative...

A group of men with AIDS who chose to follow a macrobiotic regimen as an alternative form of therapy was studied for the possible influence of psychological factors on their clinical progression. In this group, men with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) had an estimated survival time of 60% at 3 years. Moreover, there was a tendency for lymphocyte number to increase during the first 3 years following diagnosis with KS. A subset of eight of these men with KS and one man with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) agreed to fill out a battery of psychological questionnaires. The results suggest low levels of fatigue, negative affect, and confusion, but high levels of vigor in this subgroup. Additionally, there was significant positive associations of CD4 positive lymphocyte numbers with trait curiosity and hardiness scores and significant negative associations with anxiety and depression. Mitogen responsiveness followed a similar pattern, but only a positive association with curiosity reached significance. Caution has to be used in interpreting such data, especially in view of the size of the sample and the complexity of the cohort. Nonetheless, these findings clearly suggest the need for prospective studies on the influence of psychological factors on the progression of AIDS.