Acute Stress and Autoimmune Markers: Evaluating the Psychoneuroimmunology Axis in Firefighter Recruits

TL;DR

This study explores how acute stress and past trauma affect immune markers in firefighter recruits, revealing individual stress response patterns and their potential impact on autoimmune risk.

Contribution

The study identifies distinct cortisol response profiles linked to trauma history and their associations with immune biomarker changes during acute stress.

Findings

CRP, C4, and PEDF levels significantly changed after stress inoculation.

Higher life trauma correlated with lower baseline cortisol and delayed cortisol recovery.

Four cortisol response profiles were identified, differing in trauma history.

Abstract

Chronic psychological stress is known to influence immune function and contribute to development of autoimmune disorders through dysregulated inflammatory responses. This study investigates relationships between acute stress, life trauma, and autoimmune salivary biomarkers in firefighter recruits during psychophysical stress training. Salivary samples were collected from firefighter recruits during two stress tests to evaluate responses to acute stress. Samples were obtained at three time points—pre-stress, post-stress, and recovery—across both tests. Cortisol was measured to characterize acute stress response (ASR) profiles, while immune function was assessed through the analyzing C-reactive Protein (CRP), Complement C4 (C4), Pigment Epithelium Derived Factor (PEDF), and Serum Amyloid P (SAP). Results showed significant changes in CRP, C4, and PEDF after stress inoculation. Higher previous life trauma was associated with lower baseline cortisol (r = −0.489) and delay in cortisol recovery (r = 0.514), suggesting a learned biological response, potentially protective against stress-induced dysregulation. Cluster analysis revealed four distinct cortisol ASR profiles which were found to have significantly different past life trauma (p = 0.031). These findings suggest that trauma history influences stress biomarker dynamics, potentially reflecting individualized adaptive or maladaptive responses. The insights gained may inform strategies to enhance stress resilience and mitigate autoimmune risk among high-stress populations.

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