비흡연 의과대학 남학생의 시험 스트레스로 인한 순환 자연살세포 백분율의 변화와 성격 특성

Examination Stress-Induced Changes of Circulating Natural Killer Cell Percentages and Personality Characteristics in Non-smoking Male Medical Students

The present report investigated whether percentages of circulating natural killer cells are changed under examination stress and whether percentages of circulating natural killer cells are associated with personality characteristics. Subjects(n=32) for this study were selected from non-smoking medical male students. For measuring percentages of circulating natural killer cells, blood was drawn twice, with a baseline sample taken 20 days before the final examination and a stress sample drawn on the first day of final examination. Both samples were analyzed using a flow cytometer(FACScan : Becton- Dickinson). Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory(MMPI) and Ewha Defense Mechanism Test(EDMT) were examined for personality characteristics. Percentages of circulating natural killer cells significantly decreased in stress sample as compared with baseline sample. But there is no association between the subscale scores of the two psychological questionnaires and percentages of circulating natural killer cells except show off and humor subscales in EDMT. It is concluded that, in the current setting, there is association between percentages of circulating natural killer cells and examination stress, but no definite evidence for involvement of psychological variables.