Immune Responses in Acute Stress and Depression Cases

Immunoglobulin and complernent levels were studied in patients having acute stress and depression. The relatives of the patients (22 of them) who 12re either canser or myocardial infarcts were treated as stressed patients, and patients (22 of them) determined to be depressed by DSM-III criteria and 22 normal people respectively, were selected for !his study. Blood samples (5 mi) were taken from thern intravenou-sly. IgA, 1gM, IgG, C3 and C4 level of the sera were determined by radial irnmunodiffusion technique. The values were analyzed by multiple regression analysis and it was found that neither stress nor depression has any affeci or relationship with the serum IgM, IgG, and C3 and C4 levels. However, IgA levels in the sera of depressed patients significantly remained higher than the control group (p<0.05).