TY - JOUR
T1 - Stress Depresses Interferon Production by Leukocytes Concomitant With a Decrease in Natural Killer Cell Activity
AU - Glaser, Ronald
AU - Rice, John
AU - Speicher, Carl E.
AU - Stout, Julie C.
AU - Kiecolt-Glaser, Janice K.
PY - 1986/10/1
Y1 - 1986/10/1
N2 - This study addressed the effects of a commonplace stressful event on interferon production and natural killer (NK) cell activity and numbers. The quantity of interferons (IFN) produced by concanavalin A stimulated leukocytes obtained from 40 medical students during examinations was significantly lower when compared with IFN levels produced by peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) taken 6 weeks earlier (baseline). In addition, three different assays measuring NK cells also showed significant decrements during examinations when compared with baseline samples. These assays included (a) lysis of MOLT-4 target cells, (b) percentage of anti-Leu-7 + (NK) cells, and (c) percentage of large granular lymphocytes. Self-report data documented the significantly greater distress associated with examinations in comparison with baseline samples. The data have implications for immunosuppressive disorders and stress-associated illnesses.
AB - This study addressed the effects of a commonplace stressful event on interferon production and natural killer (NK) cell activity and numbers. The quantity of interferons (IFN) produced by concanavalin A stimulated leukocytes obtained from 40 medical students during examinations was significantly lower when compared with IFN levels produced by peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) taken 6 weeks earlier (baseline). In addition, three different assays measuring NK cells also showed significant decrements during examinations when compared with baseline samples. These assays included (a) lysis of MOLT-4 target cells, (b) percentage of anti-Leu-7 + (NK) cells, and (c) percentage of large granular lymphocytes. Self-report data documented the significantly greater distress associated with examinations in comparison with baseline samples. The data have implications for immunosuppressive disorders and stress-associated illnesses.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0023020125&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/0735-7044.100.5.675
DO - 10.1037/0735-7044.100.5.675
M3 - Article
C2 - 2430594
AN - SCOPUS:0023020125
SN - 0735-7044
VL - 100
SP - 675
EP - 678
JO - Behavioral Neuroscience
JF - Behavioral Neuroscience
IS - 5
ER -