Lecture 6

Question 1

What is the effect of stressor exposure on monocytes and macrophages?

Answer 1

It primes these cells allowing for faster bacterial killing, faster inflammatory resolution, exaggerated inflammatory cytokine responses, enhanced febrile responses, increased expression of inflammatory genes and increased complement proteins

Question 2

What are physical and psychological stressors?

Answer 2

Perceived stress
Anxiety
Affect
Social factors

Question 3

How was the proinflammatory environment in post traumatic stress victims found?

Answer 3

51 combat exposed males were assessed using the clinician administered PTSD Scale and 27 were identified as having major depression

Question 4

What was found in a study of pro-inflammatory environment in PTSD victims?

Answer 4

PTSD was found to be associated with higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines even after accounting for depression and early life trauma
This suggests that immune activation could be a core element of PTSD pathophysiology and not just a signature of combat exposure