Differential regulation of sensitizer-induced inflammation and immunity by acute restraint stress in allergic contact dermatitis.

Previously, we demonstrated that restraint stress applied before chemical sensitization modulates allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) differently than restraint applied before challenge. In this study, we asked if these dichotomous restraint-induced changes reflect modulation of the cutaneous microenvironment or changes in development of antigen-specific immunity in the lymph node (LN) of BALB/c mice. Our data confirm that restraint suppresses T cell-dependent immunity in ACD when applied prior to sensitization or prior to challenge and demonstrate that the stress-induced increase in ear swelling is due to heightened inflammation associated with ACD and is dependent upon the sensitization status of the mouse.