Stress activates the hypotalamic-pituitary- adrenal axis, increases circulating glucocorticoids, and is associated with alterations in immune functions. Nasal mucosa is richly innervated by sympathetic nerve fiber and nasal patency changes in response to various sympathetic stimuli. These fibres form close neuroeffector junctions with lymphocytes and macrophages. Nasal lavage and peripheral blood samples were collected from healthy medical students one hour before their exams and a week later, after the declaration of results of the exams were announced. We determined and compared the distribution of T lymphocyte subsets in students under psychological stress The T cell: natural killer cell, T helper cell: T suppressor cell, and T cell: active T cell ratios from nasal lavage and peripheral blood prior to the exams were significantly lower (P

Stress activates the hypotalamic-pituitary- adrenal axis, increases circulating glucocorticoids, and is associated with alterations in immune functions. Nasal mucosa is richly innervated by sympathetic nerve fiber and nasal patency changes in response to various sympathetic stimuli. These fibres form close neuroeffector junctions with lymphocytes and macrophages. Nasal lavage and peripheral blood samples were collected from healthy medical students one hour before their exams and a week later, after the declaration of results of the exams were announced. We determined and compared the distribution of T lymphocyte subsets in students under psychological stress The T cell: natural killer cell, T helper cell: T suppressor cell, and T cell: active T cell ratios from nasal lavage and peripheral blood prior to the exams were significantly lower (P