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Meningococcal A Vaccination Response is Enhanced by Acute Stress in Men

From the Department of Psychiatry (K.M.E.), University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California; School of Sport and Exercise Sciences (V.E.B., D.C., C.R.), University of Birmingham, UK; and the Department of Clinical Immunology (A.E.A., M.D.), School of Medicine, University of Birmingham, UK.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Kate Edwards, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, UK. E-mail: k.edwards.1{at}bham.ac.uk

Objective: To determine if acute stress experienced at the time of antigenic challenge augments the subsequent immune response.

Methods: Sixty healthy young adults were randomized to exercise (n = 20), mental stress (n = 20) or control (n = 20) before meningococcal A+C vaccination. Antibody concentration was measured by microsphere-based antibody quantification assay at prevaccination, 4 and 20 weeks post vaccination.

Results: Meningococcal serogroup A antibody responses were enhanced by exercise and mental stress in men but not women (F(2,51) = 4.00, p = .02, ² = 0.135).

Conclusions: Stress-induced immune enhancement has now been demonstrated in the antibody response to thymus-independent as well as thymus-dependent vaccines. These findings indicate that this effect is not specific to T-cell involvement.

Key Words: acute stress • exercise • adjuvants • meningococcal vaccination

Abbreviations: IgG = immunoglobulin G.