Rheumatoid Factor And Aggression Dynamics In Female Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

The Buss-Durkee Inventory (BDI) rating for measuring aggression was performed on 17 consecutive seronegative (SN) and 17 matched sero-positive (SP) female in-patients with definite or classical rheumatoid arthritis. The test scores of the SP patients were lower than those of the SN patients in all item categories, the differences reaching statistical significance with regard to the scales Verbal, Suspicion, the sum score of the hostility scales (Resentment and Suspicion), and with regard to the total score of the BDI. In the SN group, the incidence of rheumatoid relatives was lower and the presence of emotionally significant life stress at the onset of the disease more frequent than in the SP patient group. The possibility of two kinds of life stress and aggression dynamics profiles correlating with the presence or absence of rheumatoid factor is discussed.