EXPERIMENTALLY-INDUCED STRESS IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS OF RECENT-ONSET- EFFECTS ON PERIPHERAL-BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES

Objective To examine the effects of experimentally-induced stress on t he mobilization of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of recent onset. Methods Twenty-two (16 F, 6 M) patients (mean age 57.6 yrs.) and 23 (15 F, 8 M) healthy subjects (mean age 54.7 yrs.) were subjected to experimental stressors. The nu mbers of T-cells, B-cells, and NK-cells were determined before and aft er the completion of tasks inducing physical and mental effort. Result s The change in PBL in response to stress was about equal for patients and healthy subjects (p > 0.75 in all PBL subsets). In patients as we ll as in healthy, subjects, the correlations between PBL and cortisol changes in response to stress tended to be positive, while the correla tions between PBL and cardiovascular changes were positive in healthy subjects, but zero or negative in patients. Moderate to high (0.32 les s than or equal to r less than or equal to 0.55) correlations between PBL changes and pain were observed. Conclusion Experimentally-induced changes in PBL (as well as cortisol) are normal in patients with early RA who are receiving long term medication, bur correlations between t hese changes and autonomic nervous system responses are zero or negati ve. This apparent shift in the control of the change in PBL in respons e to stress is observed in particular in patients with more pain. The pathophysiological significance of these findings should be clarified in longitudinal studies.