CD4 AND CD8 COUNTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH INTERACTIONS OF GENDER AND PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESS

Objective: This study examined relationships of gender, psychosocial s tress/distress (caregiving, hassles, depressed mood), and the relative percentage and absolute cell counts of CD4 and CD8 cells in two sampl es of older adults (mean age = 69.4)-spouse caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease (N = 78) and age- and gender-matched spouses of n ondemented controls (N = 72). Methods: Counts and percentages of CD4 a nd CD8 cells and psychosocial variables were assessed twice (Time 1, T ime 2) over a 15- to 18-month period. Several covariates were examined in the analyses, including body mass index (BMI), medication use, alc ohol use, exercise, and illness history. Results: Caregiver men had fe wer CD4 cell counts at Times 1 and 2 than did control men (p <.05). At Times 1 and 2, both CD8 cell counts and percentages were positively a ssociated with hassles in men (p, <.05), but not in women. Although in teractions of hassles and gender were present for CD8 percentages at b oth times, interactions and main effects were not present for CD4 perc entages at either time. When the ratio of CD4 to CD8 levels was analyz ed, hassles by gender interactions were present at both Times 1 and 2- hassles were negatively associated with the CD4/CD8 ratio in men (p <. 05), but unrelated in women. From Time 1 to Time 2, change analyses sh owed that increases in hassles scores were associated with decreases i n CD4 counts (p <.05), whereas increases in Hamilton Depression Scores were related to increases in both CD8 counts and percentages (p <.05) . Conclusion: Caregiver status, hassles, and depressed mood had cross- sectional and/or longitudinal associations with CD4 and CD8 counts, bu t such relationships occurred primarily in men. Moreover, absolute cel l counts were more related to psychosocial factors than were percentag es.