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immunosuppression - Coggle Diagram
immunosuppression
Kiecolt-Glaser, 1984
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analysed for lymphocyte activity, specifically NK cells.
also given questionnaires to complete: a) the Social Readjustment Rating scale (SRRS) which measured other stressful ‘life events’
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biased sample
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might limit the extent that the findings linking stress and immunosuppression can be generalised to other groups in society
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. A punch-hole biopsy was taken and it was found that the carers took an average of 9 days (24%) longer to heal than a control group of non-carers.
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immune system
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B-lymphocytes = Produce antibodies which destroy invading virus and bacteria before they attack/invade cells
white blood cells, leucocytes = fight pathogens
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NK cells = destroy virus infected cells, specifically tumour cells.
immunosuppression
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This reduced efficiency of the immune system is caused by the need to direct all resources into coping with the perceived threat
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High levels of glucocorticoids (e.g. cortisol) released from the adrenal cortex are the hormones directly responsible for reducing the efficiency of the immune system as they interfere with the production of lymphocytes
findings
• Those participants who had experienced a higher number of life stressors (measured by the SRRS) had lower levels of NK activity.
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• NK activity significantly reduced in the second blood sample, compared to one month earlier.
conclusion
is more profound when accompanied by high levels of other life stressors and high levels of isolation.
‘exam stress’ reduces immune system functioning, making people more vulnerable to illness and infections
individual differences
significant gender differences in the way that the immune system reacts to marital conflict with women showing more adverse immunological changes.
on the immune system depends on many other factors e.g. whether the stressor is acute or chronic, gender, the age of the person involved and even personality type.
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