CARDIOVASCULAR REACTIVITY AND THE COURSE OF IMMUNE-RESPONSE TO AN ACUTE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESSOR

This study evaluated the temporal nature of cellular immune responses, as well as the effects of cardiovascular reactivity on immune respons es after exposure to an acute psychological stressor. Lymphocyte subse ts and lymphocyte proliferative response to phytohemagglutinin were as sessed at baseline and at 5 and 21 minutes after stressor onset in the experimental group and at the same time points in a nonstressor contr ol group. By 5 minutes after stressor onset, the number of CD8 suppres sor/cytotoxic T and CD16/56 natural killer cells increased and prolife rative response to phytohemagglutinin decreased. These changes were ma intained at 21 minutes. Those subjects showing the greatest cardiovasc ular reactivity had the largest immune alterations. These data did not indicate that gender significantly moderated immune responses. Result s are consistent with the hypothesis that sympathetic activation media tes stressor-induced quantitative alterations of peripheral blood lymp hocyte subpopulations and nonspecific mitogen stimulated proliferation .