title: Neuroendocrine system and immune responses after confinement.
abstract: A confinement experiment in a normobaric diving chamber was undertaken to obtain more understanding of the effects of confinement and isolation on human psychology and physiology. Pre- and post-confinement blood samples were obtained from four test subjects and five control subjects for the analysis of plasma proteins, hormone levels and immune responses. The absence of significant changes in the immune responses correlates with the absence of major changes in neurohormones and other hormones such as cortisol, prolactin, growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor 1, triiodothyronin, thyrotrophin and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. It is increasingly recognized that the immune system is not an independent physiological system, but a system that interacts multidirectionally with other organs and body functions. It seems that the conditions of this confinement experiment were not stressful from a psychological point of view. The presence of a female crew member had probably a positive effect on group behavior of the test subjects. In conclusion, the data suggest that confinement for 60 days in a small habitat without particularly stressful situations has no significant impact on a variety of neuroimmunological parameters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Medical School, University of Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Husson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abbal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tafani
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Schmitt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000502:physiology*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000502:physiology*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D012934:Social Isolation; D018561:Space Simulation; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D014807:Vitamin D; C097949:1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D011388:Prolactin; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013006:Growth Hormone