Meningococcal A vaccination response is enhanced by acute stress in men.
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.
Edwards
Kate M
KM
School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, UK. k.edwards.1@bham.ac.uk
Burns
Victoria E
VE
Adkins
Alison E
AE
Carroll
Douglas
D
Drayson
Mark
M
Ring
Christopher
C
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*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines