title: Chronic stress in nonelderly caregivers: psychological, endocrine and immune implications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This investigation examined whether the immune dysregulation that characterises elderly informal caregivers (e.g., spousal caregivers of dementia patients) extends to a younger caregiver population, specifically spousal carers of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
  
  
  METHODS
  MS spousal caregivers (n=41, mean age 43 years, 14 women, 27 men) and noncaregiving controls (n=62, mean age 33 years, 44 women, 18 men) were recruited. Psychological morbidity (i.e., self-reported stress, anxiety and depression), endocrine activity (i.e., salivary cortisol and DHEAs) and immunity (i.e., IgG and HAI responses to influenza vaccination and IFN-gamma and IL-4 levels) were assessed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MS caregivers and noncaregivers did not differ significantly in their IgG or HAI responses to influenza vaccination or in levels of IFN-gamma and IL-4. However, it remains unclear whether the "preserved" immune response of these younger caregivers was due to (1) an absence of immune senescence, (2) a relative absence of psychological morbidity, or both.
authors.affiliation: MRC Health Services Research Collaboration, Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, UK. k.vedhara@bris.ac.uk
authors.forename: Kavita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vedhara
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: McDermott
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Treanor
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Plummer
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tallon
authors.forename: Kim A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Cruttenden
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schifitto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000032:analysis; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis; D007107:Immune System / Q000502:physiology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D018454:Spouses; D013315:Stress, Psychological
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone