| Title | Neuroendocrine and Immunological Correlates of Chronic Stress in 'Strictly Healthy' Populations. | | Author(s) | Moriguchi Jeckel CM, Lopes RP, Berleze MC, Luz C, Feix L, Argimon II, Stein LM, Bauer ME | | Institution | Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Instituto de Pesquisas Biomédicas and Faculdade de Biociências, Porto Alegre, Brazil. | | Source | Neuroimmunomodulation 2009 Oct 5; 17(1):9-18. | | Abstract | Background: Chronic stress has been associated with detrimental or maladaptive neuroendocrine and immunological changes.
Objectives: We assessed the neuroendocrine and immunological correlates of a realistic chronic stress experienced by strictly healthy caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients and age-matched controls.
Methods: We screened 330 caregivers and 206 non-caregivers according to the 'strictly healthy' conditions established by the SENIEUR protocol. Forty-one strictly healthy caregivers (60.56 +/- 16.56 years) and 33 non-stressed controls (60.27 +/- 14.11 years) were selected for this study. Salivary cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) were assessed at multiple points by radioimmunoassay. Peripheral T cell proliferation and cellular sensitivity to glucocorticoids (corticosterone and dexamethasone, DEX) were evaluated by colorimetric assays. We also examined the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response to the administration of a low-dose DEX in vivo.
Results: The caregivers were significantly more stressed, anxious and depressed than non-caregivers (all p < 0.0001), in contrast to similar cortisol levels. Caregivers had reduced DHEAS levels (-32%, p < 0.0001), an increased cortisol/DHEAS ratio (39.7%, p < 0.0001) and impaired HPA axis response to DEX intake. Caregivers had a higher T cell proliferation (p < 0.0001) and increased sensitivity to glucocorticoids in vitro (p < 0.01) as compared to non-stressed controls.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that the maintenance of health in chronically stressed populations may be associated with both protective and detrimental neuroendocrine and immunological changes. | | Language | ENG | | Pub Type(s) | JOURNAL ARTICLE
| | PubMed ID | 19816052 |
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