Immune Function and Psychological Stress

摘要

Several studies examining transient stress and immunological functioning were performed. Measurement issues involving method of saliva collection for use in measuring secretory IgA was explored and differences between whole and parotid saliva were detected. Analyses of sIgA antibody to a novel antigen serially measured over several weeks were performed and relationships with psychological coping variables were tentatively observed. IL-2 and Natural Killer cell assays were developed and tested, and we found that NK assays could not be successfully run from cryopreserved cells. A study replicating and extending previous work with a transient stressor (examinations) was run. Although overall group results did not replicate some previous work, ipsative analyses revealed that subjects who became more anxious in response to the stress had higher levels of lymphocyte proliferation. Keywords: Stress(Psychology), Immunoglobulin A, Interleukin 2, Concanavalin A. (aw)