title: ["Does happiness help healing?" Immune response of hospitalized children may change during visits of the Smiling Hospital Foundation's Artists].
abstract: Psychoneuroimmunologic studies on positive emotions are few, and their clinical relevance is limited.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This "SHoRT" (Smiling Hospital Research Team) study evaluates the effects that Smiling Hospital artists have on hospitalized children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples were taken in a non-painful way through branules in an accredited Infectology Ward, 30 minutes before and 1 hour after a visit of tale tellers, puppeteers and handicraft artists. 24 children were visited and 9 were included in the control group. Blood lymphocyte counts and Th1/Th2 cytokine levels were determined. Artists evaluated their effect on a subjective scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the visited group, the increase of lymphocytes was 8.43% higher, the decrease was 12.45% lower, and the proportion of children showing increased lymphocyte counts was more increased. Changes were more marked after more successful visits. Authors found non-significant, still considerable changes in interferon-γ level (p < 0.055) and in Th1/Th2 cytokine ratios.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pediatric study suggests that immunological changes may develop when more attention is given to hospitalized children.
authors: Kaposi Mór Oktató Kórház Kaposvár Tallián Gyula u. 20-32. 7400. drberesandras@gmail.com
authors: András
authors: A
authors: Béres
authors: Zsuzsanna
authors: Z
authors: Lelovics
authors: Péter
authors: P
authors: Antal
authors: Gergely
authors: G
authors: Hajós
authors: András
authors: A
authors: Gézsi
authors: Arpád
authors: A
authors: Czéh
authors: Erika
authors: E
authors: Lantos
authors: Tamás
authors: T
authors: Major
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005582:Foundations; D006240:Happiness; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D007223:Infant; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012904:Smiling; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007378:Interleukins; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma