title: Modulation of the immune response to stress in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: review of recent studies.
abstract: Physical and psychological stress in healthy subjects leads to characteristic alterations of plasma hormone concentrations and the lymphocyte subset distribution. After short-term bicycle ergometry or acoustic stress, and after a 2-h-long neuropsychological examination, a rise in B- and T-suppressor/cytotoxic lymphocytes and a decrease in T-helper lymphocytes has been shown to occur. This cell mobilization was accompanied by an elevation in plasma catecholamines. Although the rise in catecholamine levels was similar in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and in healthy subjects, the alterations in the lymphocyte subsets were less pronounced in SLE patients after bicycle ergometry as well as after psychological testing than in healthy subjects, patients with sarcoidosis, and patients without collagenosis under treatment with corticosteroids. Differences between short-term physical exercise and the acoustic stress test on the one hand, and the 2-h-long neuropsychological test on the other, were observed only for the absolute lymphocyte count. After short-term stress, a rise in the leukocyte and lymphocyte count was noted, whereas after long-term testing, only an increase in leukocytes and a decrease in lymphocytes could be found. In conclusion, sympathomimetic stimulation by bicycle ergometry or by psychological stress led to a characteristic cell mobilization in all the groups investigated. The extent of cell mobilization was attenuated in SLE patients despite the fact that comparable increases of plasma catecholamines were observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-Universität, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hinrichsen
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Fölsch
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kirch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine