THE LYMPHOCYTOTIC RESPONSE AS AN INDICATOR OF RELATIVE ADRENOCORTICAL INSUFFICIENCY1

Abstract

IT HAS been demonstrated that stress stimuli induce a lymphocytic response which is not mediated by pituitary adrenocortical hormones. This non-adrenocortical response is characterized by a lymphocytosis which appears earlier and rises to higher levels than the lymphocytosis due to adrenalectomy alone (Dougherty and Kumagai, 1951). The number of lymphocytes of stressed adrenalectomized animals return to that level found in non-stressed adrenalectomized animals within 24 hours following the stress stimulus. These sequential changes in the number of circulating lymphocytes represent in their numercial and temporal characteristics an inverse image of the curve of the “lymphopenic response” and have been termed the “lymphocytotic response.” The lymphatic organs of stressed adrenalectomized animals also undergo a rapid increase in size. The rate of increase in amount of lymphatic tissue as measured by weight and nitrogen content exceed that found following adrenalectomy alone. It was suggested that stress enhances the rate of lymphocytopoiesis