Behavior, Immunologic Response, and Upper Respiratory Infection
Abstract
Our study involves predicting infection and symptomatology in humans from psychological and immunologic measures taken prior to a viral challenge (Rhinoviruses 2, or 9, or 14, or Corrona virus 221E). Subjects are approximately 1,000 volunteers kept in isolation and monitored closely for viral shedding, and symptomatology over nine-day trials. ONR funds are primarily used to examine the usefulness of antibody titers to herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) as an indirect measure of cellular immune function in this context. At study completion, HSV-1 antibody titers will be correlated with psychological measures, other humoral and cellular measures of immunity, and will be tested as a possible predictor of susceptibility to infection and clinical disease among infected subjects. The first year of funding has been spent hiring and training technicians and developing HSV-1 assays. An ELISA assay for IgG has been developed for the whole viral antigen and an IgA assay is also in development with the current proposed protocol involving an indirect ELISA and test-sera pre-absorbed with protein A. Necessary antigens are being obtained for development of an anti-rubella antibody assay to provide a control for humoral (as opposed to cellular) implications of HSV-1 activation. Keywords: Stress psychology, Social support, Lymphocytes, Antibody.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 11, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA203862
Entities
People
- David Tyrrell
- Sheldon Cohen
Organizations
- Carnegie Mellon University