TY - JOUR
T1 - Variations of lymphocyte subsets associated with stress in depressive populations
AU - Ravindran, Arun V.
AU - Griffiths, Jenna
AU - Merali, Zul
AU - Anisman, Hymie
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements: Supported in part by a grant from the Medical Research Council of Canada and Pfizer Canada (MRC-PMAC). We are indebted to Pam Kent, Jerzy Kulczyckia nd Connie Waddell for their assistance.
PY - 1996/11
Y1 - 1996/11
N2 - Major depression and dysthymia have been associated with increased perception of day-to-day stressors, greater reliance on emotion-focused coping efforts, and reduced perception of uplifting events. Moreover, it has been observed that levels of circulating natural killer (NK) cells were elevated in depressed patients. Given that mild stressors may increase circulating NK cells, it is conceivable that the elevated NK cells in depression may be secondary to the increased stress perception associated with the illness. In the present investigation a laboratory stressor, comprising a mathematical challenge, increased circulating NK cells; however, the extent of the increase was comparable in depressive, dysthymic and control subjects. Moreover, the increased NK cells induced by the stressor procedure appeared to be independent of variations of plasma cortisol, ACTH or norepinephrine. Interestingly, although the NK changes were not differentially influenced by stressors in the subject populations, in the major depressive patients correspondence existed between NK cell levels and emotion-focused coping styles. Likewise, the response to a laboratory stressor was directly related to the severity of depression and to the use of coping styles involving cognitive restructuring or problem solving.
AB - Major depression and dysthymia have been associated with increased perception of day-to-day stressors, greater reliance on emotion-focused coping efforts, and reduced perception of uplifting events. Moreover, it has been observed that levels of circulating natural killer (NK) cells were elevated in depressed patients. Given that mild stressors may increase circulating NK cells, it is conceivable that the elevated NK cells in depression may be secondary to the increased stress perception associated with the illness. In the present investigation a laboratory stressor, comprising a mathematical challenge, increased circulating NK cells; however, the extent of the increase was comparable in depressive, dysthymic and control subjects. Moreover, the increased NK cells induced by the stressor procedure appeared to be independent of variations of plasma cortisol, ACTH or norepinephrine. Interestingly, although the NK changes were not differentially influenced by stressors in the subject populations, in the major depressive patients correspondence existed between NK cell levels and emotion-focused coping styles. Likewise, the response to a laboratory stressor was directly related to the severity of depression and to the use of coping styles involving cognitive restructuring or problem solving.
KW - coping
KW - depression
KW - endocrine
KW - immune
KW - natural killer cells
KW - stress
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0030292098&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0306-4530(96)00030-3
DO - 10.1016/S0306-4530(96)00030-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 9247985
AN - SCOPUS:0030292098
SN - 0306-4530
VL - 21
SP - 659
EP - 671
JO - Psychoneuroendocrinology
JF - Psychoneuroendocrinology
IS - 8
ER -