title: Temporal stability of acute stressor-induced changes in cellular immunity.
abstract: This study examined the temporal stability of enumerative immune responses to acute psychosocial stress. Lymphocyte subsets were measured in 24 healthy male subjects at rest and following a speaking stressor on two occasions approximately six weeks apart. The speaking task caused significant increases in T-suppressor/cytotoxic cells, natural killer cells, T-cells, and total WBC and decreases in the T-helper/suppressor ratio. Baseline test-retest correlation's were statistically significant for all variables (r values = 0.40-0.90). With two exceptions (T-cells and T-suppressor/cytotoxic cells), speaking task values (absolute reactivity scores) were also statistically significant (r values = 0.48-0.92). Baseline adjusted test-retest correlations were however generally less reliable, with only natural killer cells (r values > 0.40), the T-helper/suppressor ratio (r = 0.60), and total WBC (r = 0.48) showing statistical significance. The findings suggest that certain but not all cellular immune responses to acute stress are moderately stable over time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92103-0804, USA.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Haeri
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Dimsdale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000502:physiology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors