Urinary 5-HIAA and VMA and their relationship with immunoregulatory cells in stress administered subjects.

The investigation was apt at studying the relationship between urinary metabolites of serotonin and catecholamine (5-HIAA and VMA), T-cells (OKT3+), T-helper (OKT4+), T-suppressor (OKT8+) and B-cells (EAC-rosette forming cells) in normal (10 subjects, 1 female, 9 male, age 21 +/- 5 years) and stress administered subjects (20 subjects, 3 female, 17 male, age 20 +/- 4 years). The levels of urinary 5-HIAA and VMA and numbers of OKT3+, OKT4+, OKT8+ and B-cells increased significantly in subjects administered with bicycle ergometry stress as compared to normal controls. The numbers of B-cells rose higher than that of OKT3+ cells (p less than 0.01). OKT8+ cells (T-suppressor) were more than OKT4+ cells (T-helper, p less than 0.01). The ratio T/B and OKT4+/OKT8+ decreased (p less than 0.01 0.01) after stress. An increase in B-cells, OKT8+ cells, 5-HIAA and VMA after stress suggests immunoregulatory effects of serotonin and catecholamine.