Effect of Psychological Stress on Nasal Immunity

Authors: Erdal SEREN, Abdülcemal Ümit IŞIK, Mehmet İMAMOGLU, Osman BAHADIR, Mehmet Arif KÖROĞLU, Yavuz TEKELİOĞLU

Abstract: Stress activates the hypotalamic-pituitary- adrenal axis, increases circulating glucocorticoids, and is associated with alterations in immune functions. Nasal mucosa is richly innervated by sympathetic nerve fiber and nasal patency changes in response to various sympathetic stimuli. These fibres form close neuroeffector junctions with lymphocytes and macrophages. Nasal lavage and peripheral blood samples were collected from healthy medical students one hour before their exams and a week later, after the declaration of results of the exams were announced. We determined and compared the distribution of T lymphocyte subsets in students under psychological stress The T cell: natural killer cell, T helper cell: T suppressor cell, and T cell: active T cell ratios from nasal lavage and peripheral blood prior to the exams were significantly lower (P<0.05) than a week after the exams. The changes in the T lymphocyte subset ratios in peripheral blood were similar to those in nasal lavage. It was found in this study that stress causes a decrease in the ratios of T cell: natural killer cell, T helper cell: T suppressor cell and T cell: active T cell in peripheral blood. These changes are also reflected in nasal lavage, indicating the presence of an immune response in nasal mucosa against stress.

Keywords: Psychological stress, nasal immunity, lymphocytes

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