title: Reactivity of immune, endocrine and cardiovascular parameters to active and passive acute stress.
abstract: This study clarified associations among immune, autonomic, and endocrine activities during mental arithmetic and cold pressor stress tasks in 26 women in the follicular phase. Both tasks decreased CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD19+ B cells, whereas they increased lymphocytes, granulocytes, NK cells, and NK cell activity (NKCA). The mental arithmetic task had a greater impact than the cold pressor task on changes in CD3+ T cells and in NK cells. Cardiovascular reactivity to active stress was associated with increased NK cells and decreased CD3+ T cells. Reduced cortisol levels during passive stress were associated with decreased CD19+ B cells and with increased NK cells. The merits of this study are that it controlled the following factors. Perceived stress during the two tasks was matched; both tasks lasted long enough to elicit high-magnitude responses; and the length of the intervening rest period minimized probable carryover effects between tasks.
authors.affiliation: Mie Prefectural College of Nursing, 1-1-1 Yumegaoka, Tsu, 514-0116, Japan. tokiko.isowa@mcn.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tokiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Isowa
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohira
authors.forename: Seikou
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murashima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D003071:Cognition; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural; D008598:Menstruation; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis