DAILY HASSELS AND SYMPTOMS - THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO ENUMERATIVE IMMUNOLOGICAL MEASURES

Two studies are presented, both of which aimed to establish the effect s of psychosocial load and symptoms on the following enumerative immun ologic parameters: leucocytes, granulocytes, monocytes, lymphocytes, l ymphocyte subsets, and plasma levels of IgG, IgA, and IgM. In study I, 83 and in study II, 95 subjects participated, who were selected based on their scores on questionnaires measuring daily hassles, and psycho neurotic symptoms. The following four groups were composed: (1) low lo ad, few symptoms; (2) high load, few symptoms; (3) low load, many symp toms; (4) high load, many symptoms. The influences of the psychologica l variables were assessed using regression analyses, while controlling for age (study I), gender (study 2), smoking cigarettes, alcohol cons umption, and plasma levels of adrenaline and cortisol. The psychologic al factors did not explain any of the variance in the dependent variab les in either study. It is concluded that there is no relationship bet ween the immunologic parameters under investigation and serf-reports o f daily hassles and symptoms.