Perceived Social Support >>> Immunity

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" Association between perceived social support and Th1 dominance.

Miyazaki T, Ishikawa T, Nakata A, Sakurai T, Miki A, Fujita O,

Kobayashi F, Haratani T, Iimori H, Sakami S, Fujioka Y, Kawamura N.

Division of Psychosomatic Research, National Institute of Mental

Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1

Ogawahigashicho Kodaira, Tokyo 187 8502, Japan.

Social support is supposed to have a positive health effect via

alteration of immunity. In this study, associations between perceived

social support and immune systems were examined. Immunological

assessments, e.g. T cell count, Natural Killer cell count, Interferon-

gamma, Interleukin-4, and psychological assessments, e.g. Generic Job

Stress Questionnaire were conducted on male employees. Two-way

(social supportxjob stressor) analyses of covariance controlling for

age, smoking, alcohol consumption, and exercise revealed that there

were main effects of perceived social support on NK cell counts, IL-

4, and Th1/Th2 balance. On the other hand, interaction effects were

observed on T cell counts and INF-gamma production in vitro. Social

support affects immune function in a way that is consistent with both

the direct and buffering hypotheses depending on the sources of

support and the immune parameter. "

PMID: 15979778

Rodney.