Chronic Stress May Hinder Immune Response

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Chronic Stress May Hinder Immune Response

Wed Nov 6, 6:18 PM ET

By Mulvihill

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A study of parents with children being treated

for cancer suggests that chronic stress may hamper a naturally occurring

anti-inflammatory response in the body.

Many previous studies have implicated stress as playing a role in a plethora

of ills including upper respiratory infections, progression of heart disease

and autoimmune diseases, according to Dr. E. of Washington

University in St. Louis, Missouri, and colleagues.

To further understand the relationship between stress and the immune system,

and colleagues studied the effects of stress hormones on white blood

cells used by the body to fight infection.

Ordinarily, white blood cells will concentrate in the area of injury or

infection where they release chemicals called cytokines to fend off the

invaders--a process generally known as inflammation. While inflammation can

help fight infection, too much can actually be damaging. The process is

naturally stopped in the body when levels of a stress hormone, cortisol,

begin to rise.

In the current study, 's team took blood samples from 25 parents who

had children with cancer--and presumably were undergoing a lot of

stress--and compared their white blood cell response to that of 25 parents

with healthy children. The researchers treated the cells with a synthetic

hormone to mimic the process that would occur in the body. All of the

parents were in otherwise good health, according to the report published in

the November issue of the journal Health Psychology.

The researchers found that the white blood cells of stressed parents were

less responsive to the hormone, and less likely to shut down an inflammatory

response, than the less stressed parents, said in an interview with

Reuters Health.

" Their cells kept producing more cytokines, " he said.

The findings highlight the fact that " stress may interfere with the body's

ability to shut down its own immune response after it gets started, "

said.

The good news, according to , is that stressed parents who reported

having a " good support system " were shown to have an immune response similar

to the relatively stress-free parents.

Parents who reported having a lot of support, such as having someone to help

with other family members, had similar responses as those who reported no

stress, explained.

SOURCE: Health Psychology 2002;21:531-541.