Dhabhar, F. S., &Mcewen, B. S. (1997). Acute stress enhances while chronic stress suppresses cell-mediated immunityin vivo: A potential role for leukocyte trafficking.
Delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions are antigen-specific, cell-mediated immune responses which, depending on the antigen involved, mediate beneficial (resistance to viruses, bacteria, fungi, and certain tumors) or harmful (allergic dermatitis, autoimmunity) aspects of immune function. We have shown that acute stress administered immediately before antigenic challenge results in a significant enhancement of a skin DTH response in rats. A stress-induced trafficking or redeployment of leukocytes ...