UNDERSTANDING STRESS AND DISEASE

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UNDERSTANDING STRESS AND DISEASE

• CHAPTER 6

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The Immune System

• The system responsible for recognizing SELF from
  NON-SELF.
• Solely responsible for killing NON-SELF
• Works 24/7. You are never not bombarded with
  things that are NOT SELF (Sorry germ phobics)

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Those That Are Not Self

• Antigen - any substance that can trigger an
  immune response. Some are pathogens.
• Bacterial microorganisms in the environment.
  Grow rapidly and compete with our cells for
  nutrients.
• Fungi organisms like mold and yeast. Absorbs
  nutrients.
• Viruses proteins and nucleic acid. Take over
  cell and generate their own genetic instructions.

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Immune System Structure

• Lymph Nodes
• Bean-shaped spongy tissue
• Largest are in the neck, arm-pit, abdomen, and
  groan
• Filters to capture antigens (foreign material)
  and has compartments for lymphocytes.
• Lymph vessels
• Connects to lymph nodes and carries fluid called
  lymph into the blood stream

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Immune System Units

• Leukocytes
• White Blood Cells
• Macrophages
• Granulocyte
• Lymphocytes
• Produced by bone marrow
• T Cells
• B Cells

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TYPES OF IMMUNE RESPONSES

• Innate Immunity
• invariant (generalized)
• early, limited specificity
• the first line of defense
• Also called Nonspecific
• Barriers
• Skin
• Tears
• Macrophages
• Granulocytes
• Mast Cells

• Adaptive Immunity
• variable (custom)
• later, highly specific
• remembers infection
• Also called Specific
• T cells Cell mediated
• B cells - Humoral

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Nonspecific Response Inflammation

• Acute inflammation in initiated by a stimulus
  such as injury or infection.
• Inflammatory mediators are produced at the site
  of the stimulus. CYTOKINES
• This increases pain too
• Blood vessels dilate and increase permeability
• Attract phagocytes to the site of inflammation
  and activate them.
• These cells then eat or destroy invaders

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Specific Response T and B Cells
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Cell-Mediated Immunity

• T cells recognize foreign antigens on the surface
  of cells, organisms, or tissues
• Helper T cells Present things
• Cytotoxic T cells Kill things
• Suppressor T cells Turn off
• T cells regulate proliferation and activity of
  other cells of the immune system B cells,
  macrophages, etc.
• Defense against
• Bacteria, fungi and viruses that are inside host
  cells and are inaccessible to antibodies.
• Cancer cells

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Humoral Immunity

• Antibodies are produced by B cells.
• B cells are stimulated and actively secrete
  antibodies These cells are called plasma cells.
• Antibodies are found in extracellular fluids
  (blood plasma, lymph, mucus, etc.) and the
  surface of B cells.
• Defense against bacteria, bacterial toxins, and
  viruses that circulate freely in body fluids,
  before they enter cells.

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Immunological Memory
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Overview of Immune Response
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Overview of the Immune Response
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IMMUNE DISORDERS

• IMMUNE DEFICEINCY
• HIV/AIDS
• CANCER? IMMUNE SURVEILLENCE THEORY
• AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS
• ALLERGIES

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Autoimmune Disorders

• Organ-specific
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Type I Diabetes
• Hashimotos Thyroiditis
• Systemic
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
• Rheumatoid arthritis

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Gender and Immune Function

• Women respond to antigens more strongly than men
• Estrogen may affect the development or function
  of immune cells
• May explain why more women develop autoimmune
  diseases

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PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY

• STRESS
• IMMUNE FUNCTION
• DISEASE
• THE STUDY OF HOW THESE INTERACT

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PNI From stressor to illness

• We differ as to the pattern and frequency of
  stressors to which we are exposed
• These variations determine the magnitude and
  frequency with which we turn on the
  stress-response
• The magnitude and frequency of the stress
  response regulate immune competence (e.g., via
  glucocorticoids)
• Level of immune competence determines
  susceptibility to disease

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PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY

• STRESS IMPAIRS IMMUNE FUNCTION
• DIRECT SYMPATHETIC NS HORMONES
• Cohen et al. (2007) Being unemployed reduced
  natural killer cell cytotoxicity. Getting a job
  recovers function
• INDIRECT LIFESTYLE/COPING
• IMPAIRED IMMUNE FUNCTION CAN CAUSE DISEASE

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Cohen et al. (2007)
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Direct and Indirect Paths
EVENT
DISEASE
APPRAISAL
IMMUNE SUPPRESSION
RESPONSE
LIFESTYLE
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STRESS AND DISEASE

• HEADACHES
• INFECTIONS
• CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
• DIABETES
• RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

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THE DISPOSITION FACTOR

• DIATHESIS-STRESS MODEL
• GENETIC FACTORS
• PHYSICAL
• PSYCHOLOGICAL
• EXPOSURE
• DEVELOPMENTAL
• PERSONALITY
• Hardiness
• Optimism

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Personality Factors Hardiness

• Hardiness
• Cluster of stress-buffering traits consisting of
  commitment, challenge, control
• Linked to lower levels of anxiety, adaptive
  coping styles, and adjustment to cancer,
  cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and many other
  health problems
• Hardy people are more likely to engage in
  positive reappraisal of stressful events

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Personality Optimism and Immune Functioning
(Segerstrom et al. 1998)

• Examined law students over the course of the
  first semester of LS.
• Took measures (T1 T2) of dispositional and
  situational optimism pessimism
• Drew blood at T1 T2 to measure numerous immune
  parameters.

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PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
AGENT Germ Tobacco
ENVIRONMENT Life Events Hassles Social
Support Exposure Risk
HOST Diathesis Hardiness Appraisal
DISEASE