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Blood natural killer activity is reduced in men with occupational stress and job insecurity working in a university

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Abstract

Purpose

To examine the immune response to job strain and insecurity of 88 men working in a university, divided according to age and type of employment.

Methods

Anxiety, job strain, job insecurity and subjective symptoms were measured by questionnaires. Blood NK cytotoxic activity was determined by an in vitro method and lymphocyte subpopulations by flow-cytometry analysis.

Results

Employees (over 40 years old) in a library showed higher values of job strain, anxiety and subjective symptoms and lower blood NK activity than the controls. The young employees with temporary employment showed high job insecurity and reduced blood NK activity, while the young sanitary staff with temporary position showed normal immune response. NK cytotoxic activity of the recruited men was negatively correlated with anxiety, work load and job insecurity.

Conclusions

Not only anxiety and depression but also high levels of job strain and/or insecurity may affect the health status by reducing blood NK activity.

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Aknowledgments

This research was supported by Regione Abruzzo, ISPESL and M.I.U.R. (Italian Ministry for Research and University)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Occupational Medicine, University “G. D’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy

    Paolo Boscolo, Angela Di Donato, Luca Di Giampaolo & Laura Forcella

  2. Department of Oncology and Neurosciences, University “G. D’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy

    Marcella Reale & Vincenzo Dadorante

  3. Faculty of Psychology, University “G. D’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy

    Francesca Alparone & Stefano Pagliaro

  4. Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Laiko General Hospital, Athens, Greece

    Maria Kouri

  5. Department of Environmental, Occupational and Social Medicine, University of Rome “Torvergata”, Rome, Italy

    Andrea Magrini

  6. Laboratory of Occupational Psychology and Sociology, ISPESL, Rome, Italy

    Emanuela Fattorini

Authors
  1. Paolo Boscolo
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  2. Angela Di Donato
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  3. Luca Di Giampaolo
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  4. Laura Forcella
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  5. Marcella Reale
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  6. Vincenzo Dadorante
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  7. Francesca Alparone
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  8. Stefano Pagliaro
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  9. Maria Kouri
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  10. Andrea Magrini
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  11. Emanuela Fattorini
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Correspondence to Paolo Boscolo.

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Boscolo, P., Di Donato, A., Di Giampaolo, L. et al. Blood natural killer activity is reduced in men with occupational stress and job insecurity working in a university. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 82, 787–794 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-008-0374-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-008-0374-5

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