Partial night sleep deprivation reduces natural killer and celhdar immune responses in humans

Abstract: IWbAKLd1 Partial night sleep deprivation reduces natural and cellular immune responses in humans MICHAEL IRWIN,1 AND J. CHRISTIAN JOHN MCCUNTICK, CAROLYN of immune function also occur after even loss of sleep, the effects of early-night partial sleep deprivation on circulating numbers of white blood cells, natural killer (NK) cell number and cytotoxicity, lymphokine-activated killer ([AK) cell number and activity, and stimulated interleukin-2 (IL-2) production were studied in 42 medically and psychiatrically healthy male volunteers. After a night of sleep deprivation between 10 P.M. and 3 A.M., a reduction of natural immune responses as measured by NK cell activity, NK activity per number of NK cells, LAK activity, and LAK activity per number of [AK precursors (CD16,56, CD25) was found. In addition, concanavalin A-stimulated IL-2 production was suppressed after sleep deprivation due to changes in both adherent and nonadherent cell populations. After a night of recovery sleep, NK activity returned to baseline levels and IL-2 production remained suppressed. These data implicate sleep in the modulation of immunity and demonstrate that even a modest disturbance of sleep produces a reduction of natural immune responses and T cell cytokine production.-Irwin, M., McClintick, J., Costlow, C., Fortner, M., White, J., Gum, J. C. Partial night sleep deprivation reduces natural killer and cellular immune responses in humans. FASEB J. 10, 643-653 (1996) ‘natural killer cell aclivily interleukin-2 DISTURBANCE IS BELIEVED TO adversely affect host resistance to infectious disease (1, 2). Epidemiologic data show that circadian shift workers who commonly experience disordered sleep exhibit depressed cellular immune function and increased rates of respiratory tract infections (3, 4). In animals, sleep deprivation lasting only 7 h impairs influenza viral clearance and specific influenza antibody production (5, 6), and sustained sleep loss has a lethal outcome due to systemic infection and septicemia with opportunistic bacterial microorganisms (7). Human studies involving prolonged sleep loss indicate alterations of immune function. However, both enhancing SLEEP 0892-6638/96/001 0.0643/$01 killer FORTNER, JACK WIHTE, University of California, and San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Diego, ABSTRACT Prolonged and severe sleep deprivation is associated with alterations of natural and cellular immune function. To determine whether Key Words: immunity MEUSSA I IUFI GILLIN Departments of Psychiatry, California 92161, USA alterations a modest COSTLOW, UMMUNH.A .50 ©FASEB and suppressive effects on natural killer (NK)2 activity and on lymphocyte responses have been reported. For example, Dinges and colleagues (8) found in 20 subjects that 64 h of sleep deprivation was associated with leukocytosis and increased NK cell activity, but with no changes in lymphocyte counts or nonspecific pokeweed mitogen, phytohemagglutinin (PHA), or concanavalin A (Con A) lymphocyte proliferation. In contrast, Moldofsky et al. (9) reported in 10 men that 40 h of sleep loss induced a prolonged decline in NK activity and a delayed nocturnal rise in lymphocyte proliferation to pokeweed mitogen but not to PHA. Finally, Palmblad and colleagues (10) found decreased PHA-induced lymphocyte proliferation after 4.8 h of wakefulness in 12 men and increased interferon production and decreased phagocytic activity in 8 women deprived of sleep for 77 h..