ALTERATION OF IMMUNE-SYSTEM FUNCTION IN TETRAPLEGICS - A PILOT-STUDY

Over the past 20 yr, evidence has accumulated that implicates the auto nomic nervous system as a central modulator of immune function. We hyp othesized that injury to the cervical spinal cord would affect immune function by dysregulation of the sympathetic outflow tract. To test th is hypothesis, peripheral blood lymphocytes were obtained from five in dividuals with complete cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) and from fiv e age- and sex-matched neurologically intact controls. Immunologic par ameters studied included cell counts by flow cytometry, lymphocyte pro liferation response to three mitogens and a natural killer cell cytoto xicity assay. In addition the Ilfeld Psychiatric Symptom Index was com pleted by all subjects and controls. Repeated measures analysis of var iance revealed an impaired lymphocyte proliferation response in the SC I group. Our results suggest that individuals who have sustained compl ete cervical SCI have alteration in immune function as compared with n eurologically intact controls. This may contribute to infections after spinal cord injury. The mechanism may involve dysregulation of the sy mpathetic arm of the autonomic nervous system.