When dealing with the everyday needs of...

Columbus, Ohio - How well a pneumonia vaccination protects

older Americans may depend on how stressed they are when they get

works. New research shows that even after six months

vaccine may be weakened as a result of human stress levels. These data are extremely important, as bacterial pneumonia

and influenza infection, which often precedes it >> << fourth leading cause of death in this country for people over

75. In a study reported this month in the magazine, is the latest in a long series of studies in

effect of stress on the immune system. This

Also for the first time scientists were able to show that >> << bacterial vaccines may be affected by the stress level of the patient. Most early work focused on viral vaccines. Older Americans should remember this when they strattera 40mg do

plans to get their annual flu and pneumonia vaccinations

explains lead author of the report, Ron Glaser, professor of molecular virology

, Immunology and Medical Genetics, Ohio State

, University. If they are heavily loaded at the time they planned

for pictures, maybe they should move. The bottom line is that they should probably wait until

they feel less stressed, he says. If they do, they can

more likely to develop a strong immune response from >> << vaccine and therefore better protection against disease >>. Research << vaccinated against pneumonia comes on the heels of similar research >> << that looked at the possible health effects of stress may have

vaccines against influenza, hepatitis B vaccine and rubella virus, measles

originator. In all these experiments

high level of stress has a negative impact on the effectiveness of vaccines. But research

, pneumonia vaccine surprised Glazer and his colleagues

, Janice Kikolt-Glaser, professor of psychiatry and psychology

William nonsense, Professor of Internal Medicine;

John Sheridan, professor of biology and interpretations of Preventive medicine;

and Robert McCallum, professor of psychology. In this study, researchers studied 52 elderly people (three quarters

of them women) who have never received a vaccination against pneumonia before. They were divided into three groups - 11 being the main

care of spouses suffering from dementia and 13 former >> << educators. The remaining participants completed the control group. When dealing with the everyday needs of patients with dementia are known

cause chronic stress and changes in the immune system of caregivers. All participants filled in psychological tests to determine th

current stress level and blood samples were taken to assess th

immune status. They got the vaccine against pneumococcal bacteria

agent for more after influenza pneumonia. Similar examples >> << blood were taken and analyzed two weeks, month, three months

and six months after vaccination

Among other indicators, the researchers were interested in the level of immunoglobulin

-G (IgG), antibodies are formed on the body

struggle against pneumococcal bacteria. Strong IgG levels specified

healthy immune response ready to defend against disease >> << while weak levels mean that a person can be the risk of pneumonia. When they analyzed the data, they found that all three groups

- current care, former teachers and members of the control group

showed an initial positive response to the vaccine. But

after six months, the immune status of the current care

dramatically reduced while the controls and former caregivers remained

same. This delay in immune response to vaccine

surprised the researchers. In a similar study in 1996 of influenza vaccine, the stress >> << care - and former teachers - showed immediate >> << impact shortly after vaccination. Their immune status was weaker

and remained so for at least six months after receiving the shots. But bacterial vaccines, the effect occurs only through

appear for three months and six months of blood tests. Glazer

- offers two possible explanations:

. Viral infection - like flu - cause the body to do two things

Firstly, including antibodies against the virus produced >> << and flood the bloodstream. And secondly, the body produces >> << killer T-lymphocytes that can identify cells infected

virus and kill them. But bacterial infection - such as pneumonia -

killer T cells are not so important. Instead, B-lymphocytes, which

make specific antibodies to the bacteria are key. They work with >> << T lymphocytes to fight infection. Perhaps the stress leads to a decrease in total

B-lymphocytes in the body produced over time and are thus less

cells, antibodies, necessary for immune response

put it. Or maybe there is enough B-lymphocytes, but they do less

antibodies. At this point, we simply do not know. Glazer, however, to heed his own advice. Last year, when

created it to get your flu vaccine, he suffered

it at the last minute because he knew that the week was very busy

. He said that he postponed the vaccination >> << later, when the voltage was reduced, and he felt better, considering that

, that will improve protection from the disease this year. If I can not follow the recommendations that come from

my own research, why should I expect that other people do it? This work was supported by grant and is part of the work done

Institute at Ohio State University in behavioral medicine research.

Contacts: Ronald Glaser, (614) 292-5526,. Author: Earle Holland, (614) 292-8384,. .