The effects of an acute psychological stressor on cardiovascular, endocrine, and cellular immune response: A prospective study of individuals high and low in heart rate reactivity

Abstract

High and low reactors were preselected on the basis of their heart rate reactivity to a speech stressor in a prescreening session. In the main study, subjects were exposed to a mental arithmetic plus noise stressor. Cardiovascular activity was recorded during baseline and stressor, and blood was drawn prior to and following the stressor for endocrine and immune assays. Results revealed that the stressor decreased the blastogenic response to concanavalin A and increased natural killer cell numbers and cytotoxicity, absolute numbers of CD8+ T-lymphocytes, norepinephrine and epinephrine levels, heart rate, and blood pressure responses. In addition, cortisol and natural killer cell cytotoxicity responses to the stressor differentiated individuals high versus low in heart rate reactivity. These results suggest that the interactions among the autonomic nervous system, endocrine system, and immune system are not only amenable to psychophysiological analysis but that such analyses may play an important role in illuminating underlying mechanisms.

Altered Human Neutrophil Function in Response to Acute Psychological Stress

“…Generally, chronic stress has been shown to have a negative effect on various aspects of immunity, whereas acute stress would seem to be immune enhancing (1). For example, acute stress has been shown to elicit lymphocytosis (2,3), increase natural killer cell cytotoxicity (4,5) and secretory immunoglobulin A secretion rate (6), stimulate aspects of the complement system (7), and boost vaccination responses (8). However, little is known about the effects of acute stress on human neutrophils and particularly their bactericidal function.…”

Cellular and mucosal immune reactions to mental and cold stress: Associations with gender and cardiovascular reactivity

“…cells~CD408 ratio! has been observed to decrease in response to acute stress exposures, particularly in studies with larger sample sizes~Bachen Cacioppo et al, 1995;Herbert et al, 1994;Matthews et al, 1995;Mills et al, 1995;Sgoutas-Emch et al, 1994!. The rapidity of cellular immune reactions to acute laboratory stress suggests the possible involvement of the sympathetic nervous system.…”

“…The most consistent result to emerge is an increase in circulating natural killer~NK! cells Bachen et al, 1992;Cacioppo et al, 1995;Caggiula et al, 1995;Herbert et al, 1994;Matthews et al, 1995;Mills et al, 1995;Naliboff et al, 1991;Sgoutas-Emch et al, 1994!. Although the evidence regarding other lymphocyte subsets is less consistent, the ratio of T helper~CD4ϩ! cells to T suppressor0cytotoxic~CD8ϩ!…”

Perceived control as a predictor of cardiovascular disease mortality in Poland. The HAPIEE study

“…The mechanism of relationship between psychosocial factors and CVD is still the subject of research. The postulated mechanism indicate metabolic changes as a result of neuroendocrine response, imbalances of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, occurrence of metabolic syndrome or immunological response to inflammation [5][6][7][8]. The importance of psychosocial stress in development of CVD was established [8,9].…”