title: The influence of psychological stress on the immune response to vaccines.
abstract: We compared virus-specific antibody and T-cell responses to influenza virus vaccination in 32 caregivers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and matched control subjects. Caregivers showed a poorer antibody response and virus-specific T-cell response following vaccination compared to the control subjects as measured by fourfold increases in antibody titers to the vaccine and lower levels of virus-induced IL-2 levels in vitro. We performed a second study in which forty-eight medical students were inoculated with a series of three injections of the hepatitis-B (HEP-B) vaccine to coincide with the third day of three, three-day examination blocks. Twelve of the 48 medical students seroconverted after the first injection; these students were characterized by falling into the lower stressed/lower anxiety group of students. Students who reported greater social support and lower anxiety and stress demonstrated a higher antibody response to the vaccine and a more vigorous T-cell response to HEP-B surface antigen at the end of the third examination experience. The differences in antibody and T-cell responses to HEP-B and influenza virus vaccinations provide a demonstration of how stress may be able to alter both the cellular and humoral immune responses to vaccines and novel pathogens in both younger and older adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus 43210, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Glaser
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kiecolt-Glaser
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Malarkey
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Sheridan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000628:therapy; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000276:immunology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014765:Viral Vaccines