Aberrations in lymphocyte subpopulations and function during psychological stress.

Eight trainees in psychiatry taking their final oral fellowship examinations were compared with 16 controls to determine the effect of stress on their immune system. Two measures of stress were utilized to distinguish the highly stressed subjects from those minimally stressed. T cell subpopulations, B cell numbers, mitogen reactivity, natural killer cell activity, plaque forming cell responsiveness, antigen specific T suppressor cell activity, and hormone levels were studied 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after the exam. The results demonstrated transiently elevated numbers of T and B lymphocytes but impaired plaque forming cell and mitogen responsiveness in the highly stressed group prior to their exam which normalized later. The results support the concept that stress may significantly alter the immune response in man.