Acute psychological stress alerts the adaptive immune response: Stress-induced mobilization of effector T cells

• Published in: Journal of neuroimmunology Vol. 176; no. 1; pp. 141 - 152
• Main Authors: Atanackovic, Djordje, Schnee, Benjamin, Schuch, Gunter, Faltz, Christiane, Schulze, Julia, Weber, Cora S., Schafhausen, Philippe, Bartels, Katrin, Bokemeyer, Carsten, Brunner-Weinzierl, Monika Christine, Deter, Hans-Christian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.07.2006
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adult; Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; Antigens, Neoplasm - analysis; CD56 Antigen - analysis; Cell Movement; Cell surface molecules; Chemokine receptors; Humans; Immunologic Memory; Killer Cells, Natural - physiology; Leukocyte Common Antigens - analysis; Male; Membrane Glycoproteins - analysis; Psychological stress; Psychoneuroimmunology; Receptors, CCR5 - analysis; Receptors, CCR7; Receptors, Chemokine - analysis; Stress, Psychological - immunology; T cell homing; T cells; T-Lymphocytes - physiology; Psychological stress; Cell surface molecules; Psychoneuroimmunology; T cell homing; T cells; Chemokine receptors
• ISSN: 0165-5728; 1872-8421
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2006.03.023

Influences of psychological stress on the acquired immune system have not consequently been investigated. We found acute psychological stress to cause an increase in CD56 + and CCR5 + effector T cells in the peripheral blood of healthy human subjects ( N = 22), while skin-homing CLA+ T cells decreased. At the same time, we observed a stress-induced decrease in CD45RA+/CCR7+ naive and CD45RA−/CCR7+ central memory T cells, while CD45RA−/CCR7− effector memory and CD45RA+/CCR7− terminally differentiated T cells increased. This T cell redistribution translated into an increase in T cells expressing perforin/granzyme B and in Epstein-Barr virus-specific, cytomegalovirus-specific and influenza virus-specific CD8 + T cells. Thus, acute stress seems to promote the retention of less mature T cells within lymphoid tissue or skin while effector-type T cells are mobilized into the blood in order to be able to rapidly migrate into peripheral tissues.