Levels of circulating CD8(+) T lymphocytes, natural killer cells, and eosinophils increase upon acute psychosocial stress in patients with atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND

Different exogenous and endogenous provocation factors such as mental stress are hypothesized as being relevant in the pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis (AD).

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of acute psychological stress on illness-specific immunologic parameters in AD. Patients with psoriasis and healthy volunteers were investigated in parallel.

METHODS

Patients with AD (n = 15), patients with psoriasis (n = 15), and control subjects (n = 15) were exposed to mental stress lasting 10 minutes (public speaking, mental arithmetic). In vitro analyses were done 1 hour before, immediately after, and 1 hour after stress exposure. Vital parameters (blood pressure, heart rate) and plasma noradrenaline concentrations were determined to prove the effects of mental stress on the individuals. Lymphocytes were phenotypically analyzed by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

The results indicate a higher ability of CD8(+) T lymphocytes to react to stress, including the subpopulations of CD8(+)/CD11b(+) T lymphocytes and eosinophils in patients with AD compared with healthy volunteers. The increases in the subpopulation of CD8(+)/CD11b(+) T lymphocytes on psychological stress were higher in the patients with AD and psoriasis than in healthy control subjects. Significant stress-induced changes of natural killer cells were revealed for all 3 groups.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that psychological stress has different immunologic effects in patients with AD than in patients with psoriasis and healthy men.