title: Meningococcal A vaccination response is enhanced by acute stress in men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if acute stress experienced at the time of antigenic challenge augments the subsequent immune response.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty healthy young adults were randomized to exercise (n = 20), mental stress (n = 20) or control (n = 20) before meningococcal A+C vaccination. Antibody concentration was measured by microsphere-based antibody quantification assay at prevaccination, 4 and 20 weeks post vaccination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Meningococcal serogroup A antibody responses were enhanced by exercise and mental stress in men but not women (F(2,51) = 4.00, p = .02, eta(2) = 0.135).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stress-induced immune enhancement has now been demonstrated in the antibody response to thymus-independent as well as thymus-dependent vaccines. These findings indicate that this effect is not specific to T-cell involvement.
authors.affiliation: School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, UK. k.edwards.1@bham.ac.uk
authors.forename: Kate M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Victoria E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Alison E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Adkins
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drayson
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ring
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D001642:Bicycling; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D038381:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup A / Q000276:immunology*; D038542:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup C / Q000276:immunology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000276:immunology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines