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Mechanisms of changes in lymphocyte numbers after psychological stress
1Center for Psychobiology and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Psychology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Otto-Behaghel-Str. 10, 35394 Giessen, Germany. juergen.hennig@psychol.uni-giessen.de
Insights
Stress impacts immune cells, with catecholamines like epinephrine driving changes. This study found higher catecholamine release correlates with greater increases in specific lymphocyte subsets, but not subjective stress levels.
Area of Science:
- Psychoneuroimmunology
- Stress Research
- Immunology
Background:
- The central nervous system significantly influences the immune system.
- Stress-induced immunological changes are well-documented.
- Catecholamines play a key role in stress-induced leukocytosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between epinephrine and norepinephrine release and peripheral lymphocyte subset changes during stress.
- To determine if high or low catecholamine responders differ in subjective discomfort ratings.
Main Methods:
- A public speaking paradigm was used to induce stress.
- Subjects were categorized into high and low catecholamine responders based on epinephrine and norepinephrine levels.
- Changes in absolute numbers of CD8+ and CD56+ cells were measured.
Main Results:
- Stress significantly increased CD8+ and CD56+ cell counts.
- Higher catecholamine responders showed significantly greater increases in lymphocyte subsets compared to low responders.
- No significant difference in subjective discomfort ratings was found between high and low catecholamine responders.
Conclusions:
- The magnitude of stress-induced lymphocyte subset increases is dependent on the amount of catecholamine released.
- There is a dissociation between objective immunological responses and subjective stress perception.
- Further research is needed to understand catecholamine-induced lymphocyte migration mechanisms and the discrepancy in stress indicators.
Abstract:
In the field of psychoneuroimmunology it has become obvious that the immune system is governed by multiple influences from the central nervous system. One approach to verify these interactions can be seen in stress research. While the phenomenon of stress-induced changes in immunological processes is widely accepted, more recent studies focus on possible moderators and mechanisms of these responses. Within this research strategy it became evident that catecholamine increases upon stress are of major importance for the frequently observed mild leukocytosis. The present study was conducted to investigate whether the often observed stress-induced increases in the number of peripheral lymphocyte subsets depends on the amount of epinephrine or norepinephrine release. Moreover, the question was addressed whether high or low catecholamine release is related to subjective ratings on discomfort. Using a "public speaking paradigm", we were able to replicate previous findings of high increases in the absolute number of CD8+ and CD56+ cells in peripheral blood. Moreover, when dividing subjects into high and low catecholamine responders, the amount of change was significantly larger in catecholamine responders irrespective of whether norepinephrine or epinephrine was used for grouping the subjects. However, high and low catecholamine responders did not differ with respect to subjective ratings on discomfort. The data are discussed with respect to underlying mechanisms in catecholamine-induced lymphocyte migration and possible reasons for the mismatch between objective and subjective indicators of stressor efficacy.