title: Lymphocyte subset and cellular immune responses to a brief experimental stressor.
abstract: To evaluate effects of acute mental stress on aspects of cellular immunity, lymphocyte populations and phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated T-cell mitogenesis were measured in 33 healthy young men, both before and immediately following subjects' performance of a frustrating, 21-minute laboratory task (Stroop test). Relative to baseline evaluations, post-task measurements showed a significant reduction in mitogenesis and alterations in various circulating lymphocyte populations; the latter included a diminished T-helper/T-suppressor cell ratio and an elevation in the number of natural killer cells. Eleven subjects assigned to a control (unstressed) condition exhibited no changes in lymphocyte populations, but did show an increase in T-cell proliferation, compared with pretask measurements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15260.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Bachen
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Manuck
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Marsland
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Malkoff
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Muldoon
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Rabin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology; D011598:Psychoneuroimmunology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*