title: Negative affect, absorption, and immunity.
abstract: Relationships between the psychological characteristics absorption and neuroticism, and in vitro and in vivo measures of cell-mediated immunity were examined. Thirty-nine female subjects responded to questionnaires, donated blood for analysis of T-cell numbers, and were tested for delayed hypersensitivity skin responses. Consistent with the experimental hypothesis, subjects classified as repressors of negative affect (low absorption/low neuroticism), or extreme expressors of negative affect (high absorption/high neuroticism), showed lower immune responses than other groups of subjects. For the in vitro T-cell measures and the in vivo skin induration measures, there were also pervasive main effects of neuroticism, with subjects higher in neuroticism showing higher immunity than subjects lower in neuroticism.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, University of Newcastle, NSW Australia.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Shea
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Girgis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000276:immunology*; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology*; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology; D010553:Personality Development; D010556:Personality Tests; D011598:Psychoneuroimmunology; D012094:Repression, Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D009638:Norepinephrine