title: The moderating effect of personal mastery and the relations between stress and Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) antigen.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study tested whether feelings of personal control over one's life circumstances (i.e., personal mastery) would attenuate the relations between stress (i.e., negative life events and caregiving distress) and Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor (PAI)-1 antigen, an inhibitor of fibrinolysis implicated in the development of cardiovascular disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-one spousal dementia caregivers were assessed for plasma levels of PAI-1 antigen, negative life events, caregiver distress, and feelings of personal mastery. Regression analysis was used to determine if personal mastery moderated the relations between stress (i.e., life stress and caregiving distress) and PAI-1 antigen levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 antigen in plasma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After controlling for other factors associated with PAI-1 antigen levels, negative life events were positively associated with plasma PAI-1 antigen concentrations in participants low in personal mastery (beta = .31; p = .050) but not in individuals high in personal mastery (beta = .22; p = .184). The moderating effect of mastery on the relations between caregiving distress and PAI-1 antigen did not reach statistical significance (p = .091).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that mastery may protect individuals from some of the alterations in hemostatic factors that have been linked to cardiovascular risk.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0680, USA. bmausbach@ucsd.edu
authors: Brent T
authors: BT
authors: Mausbach
authors: Roland
authors: R
authors: von Känel
authors: Thomas L
authors: TL
authors: Patterson
authors: Joel E
authors: JE
authors: Dimsdale
authors: Colin A
authors: CA
authors: Depp
authors: Kirstin
authors: K
authors: Aschbacher
authors: Paul J
authors: PJ
authors: Mills
authors: Sonia
authors: S
authors: Ancoli-Israel
authors: Igor
authors: I
authors: Grant
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; C051321:SERPINE1 protein, human