Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine, Vol 8, 461-474, Copyright © 1997 by International & American Associations for Dental Research

ARTICLES

Psychosocial factors and secretory immunoglobulin A

H. B. Valdimarsdottir and A. A. Stone
Department of Psychiatry, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021, USA.

This review focuses on studies that have examined the relation between psychosocial factors and secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA). Several studies have examined the relation between s-IgA and stressful circumstances ranging from major life events to minor daily events. The findings from these studies were often contradictory, since different experimenters reported different stress-related changes in s-IgA. The effects of stress reduction interventions, such as relaxation and imagery, on s-IgA levels have also been examined. Although these studies indicate that various interventions are associated with increases in s-IgA levels, methodological refinements are needed before more definitive conclusions can be made. The possibility that the relation between stress and s-IgA may be moderated by personality characteristics or mediated by psychological distress was supported in some studies. The review concludes with suggestions for future research.

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