RELATIONS OF PLASMA ACTH AND CORTISOL-LEVELS WITH THE DISTRIBUTION AND FUNCTION OF PERIPHERAL-BLOOD CELLS IN RESPONSE TO A BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGE IN BREAST-CANCER - AN EMPIRICAL EXPLORATION BY MEANS OF STATISTICAL MODELING

This study explores by means of statistical modeling the relations bet ween adrenocorticotrophin hormone (ACTH) and cortisol levels and distr ibution and function of peripheral blood cells in response to an acute stressor consisting of a standardized speech task in breast cancer pa tients with axillary lymphnode metastases and distant metastases. As a control group age-matched women participated in this study. The preli minary findings show that the effect of ACTH on immunoreactivity is re lated to the health of the donor. In node-positive breast cancer patie nts and healthy women, ACTH has a modest positive effect on T lymphocy te percentages and on pokeweed-induced proliferation at baseline and i n response to the speech task. In contrast, in breast cancer patients with distant metastases ACTH has a negative effect on T lymphocyte per centages and function at baseline and in response to the stressor. Int erestingly, neither ACTH nor cortisol levels were related to natural k iller (NK) cell percentages and natural killer cell activity (NKCA). I n addition, it appeared that cortisol had a positive effect on CD3 cel l percentages when the health of the donor was taken into account. Thi s effect was most distinct on CD3 cells measured at baseline. If repli cated on a larger scale, these findings may indicate that the hypothal amic pituitary adrenal axis plays a role in the adaptation of the host defenses in reaction to acute stress, particularly those involving T lymphocytes. Moreover, these findings may suggest that the health of t he donor may be an important effect modification factor in the relatio ns between neuroendocrines and immunoreactivity.