STRESSFUL EVENTS, PESSIMISM, NATURAL-KILLER-CELL CYTOTOXICITY, AND CYTOTOXIC SUPPRESSOR T-CELLS IN HIV+ BLACK-WOMEN AT RISK FOR CERVICAL-CANCER/

Objective: This study examines whether stressful negative life events and pessimism were associated with lower natural killer cell cytotoxic ity (NKCC) and T cytotoxic/suppressor cell (CD8+CD3+) percentage in bl ack women co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus Type 1 (HIV-1) and human papillomavirus (HPV), a viral initiator of cervical cancer. Method: Psychosocial interviews, immunological evaluations, and cervi cal swabs for HPV detection and subtyping were conducted on 36 HIV+ Af rican-American, Haitian, and Caribbean women. Results: Greater pessimi sm was related to lower NKCC and cytotoxic/suppressor cells after cont rolling for presence/absence of HPV Types 16 or 18, behavioral/lifesty le factors, and subjective impact of negative life events. Conclusions : A pessimistic attitude may be associated with immune decrements, and possibly poorer control over HPV infection and increased risk for fut ure promotion of cervical dysplasia to invasive cervical cancer in HIV + minority women co-infected with HPV.