title: Psychological stress may induce increased humoral and decreased cellular immunity.
abstract: Stress alters immune function and affects different immune cell populations in different ways. The authors examined whether psychological stress has different effects on the production of macrophage, T-helper 1(Th1) cell, and T-helper 2(Th2) cell-derived cytokines. Forty-two college students were recruited and their blood was sampled on the day they were to take a stressful academic examination and again 4 weeks after the examination. The stress from the academic examination significantly increased IL-1 beta, IL-6, and IL-10 and decreased IFN-gamma production. These findings suggest that examination stress may increase Th2 cell-mediated humoral immunity and macrophage activities and may decrease Th1 cell-mediated cellular immunity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul.
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Toh
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000917:Antibody Formation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C069261:interferon gamma (1-39); C052994:interleukin-1beta (163-171); D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma