Anane, Hamama Leila (2011)
Ph.D. thesis, University of Birmingham.
The present thesis describes research that characterizes the mobilization of cytotoxic T cell subsets and monocyte populations in response to acute psychological stress and β-agonist (isoproterenol) infusion. Chapter two showed that γδ T cells are mobilized in response to psychological stress and isoproterenol infusion, implicating β-adrenergic mechanisms in this response. Chapter three demonstrated that γδ T cells that were tissue migrating (CD11ahi), of an effector memory phenotype (CD27 CD45RA+), and displaying NK-like features (CD94+), were most sensitive to stress induced mobilization. Chapter four showed that a perforin (pfn)+ C27 phenotype in CD4+, CD8+ and γδ T cells consistency identified cells most sensitive to stress and isoproterenol induced mobilization. However, although cytotoxicity (pfn+) was important, differentiation (CD27 ) status better predicted mobilization. Chapter five revealed that of the three major monocyte populations; CD14++CD16, C14++CD16+ and CD14+CD16+, the proinflammatory‟ CD14+CD16+ monocytes showed the largest mobilization response during stress and isoproterenol infusion. Thus, the selective mobilization of cells with a high effector ability applies to monocyte populations also. We speculate that mobilization of these leukocytes may represent an adaptive mechanism aimed at enhancing host immune defenses in times of threat. This response can have beneficial and detrimental effects depending on the inflammatory or infectious context.
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