SELECTIVE REDUCTION IN CD2 EXPRESSION ON CD2(BRIGHT) CD8(+) LYMPHOCYTES FROM CYNOMOLGUS MONKEYS (MACACA-FASCICULARIS) IN RESPONSE TO ACUTE STRESS/

Numerous reports have demonstrated a link between stressful stimuli an d immune suppression. However, the cellular mechanisms by which stress impairs immune function are largely unknown. We have examined the eff ects of an acute stressor on the T cell population, specifically, the number and phenotype of T cells in a nonhuman primate model. In nonstr essed adult monkeys, we found differences in the level of expression o f CD2 on T cells, revealing two distinct subsets of T cells, CD2(dim) and CD2(bright) cells, with CD2(bright) cells predominately coexpressi ng CD8. In response to acute stress, we observed a significant loss in the number and percent of CD2(bright)/CD8(+) cells, with percent of C D2(bright) cells returning to pre-stress values within 24 h. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.