Table 1 Factors that Determine whether Psychological Stress May Enhance or Suppress Immune Function
Factor | Stress-Induced Immunoenhancement | Stress-Induced Immunosuppression |
|---|---|---|
Immune cell redistribution | In leukocyte-enriched compartments (eg, skin, sentinel lymphnodes) | In leukocyte-depleted compartments (eg, blood, spleen) |
Duration of stress or hormone exposure | Acute (minutes to hours) | Chronic (weeks/months/years) |
Concentration of hormone | Physiologic stress levels | High pharmacologic levels |
Source of glucocorticoid | Endogenous | Synthetic analogues |