PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (S ) : B. Sue Criswell 



EXPERIMENT TITLE/NUMBER : Cellular Immune Response 



PROGRAM/MISSION : Apollo-Soyuz Test Project 



CLASSIFICATION : Human 



DISCIPLINE(S) : Hematology, Cell biology, Immunology 



OBJECTIVES : To study the effects of spaceflight parameters on cellular immune 

 response . 



PROTOCOL : Samples of heparinized peripheral venous blood (10 cm ) were 

 obtained and processed within one to 24 hours after collection. Before 

 separation, total leukocyte (WBC) counts were performed using a hemacytometer 

 and/or a Coulter counter, and differential counts were determined using slide 

 preparations stained with Wright's stain. Parameters studied were WBC 

 concentrations, lymphocyte numbers, B- and T-lymphocyte distributions in 

 peripheral blood, and lymphocyte responsiveness to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), 

 pokeweed mitogen (PWM), Concanavalin A (ConA), and influenza virus antigen. 



EQUIPMENT : Venous blood collection equipment and blood storage equipment. 



3 

 RESULTS : Reduced human lymphocyte response (uptake of H thymidine) to 



phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was found on R+0 and R+1 but was within normal range 



R+8. There were varied responses to pokeweed and Concanavalin A mitogens. No 



quantitative T-cell, B-cell population changes were found. One of the 3 



crewmen responded to influenza virus (type A) antigen postflight. The entire 



crew responded to England strain preflight. 



CONCLUSIONS : Although the crewmen appeared to have no overt disease process 

 upon return, they did appear to experience a stress phenomenon similar to a 

 disease state which may have created the observed depression in lymphocytes. 

 Because no inflight blood samples were analyzed for lymphocytic 

 responsiveness, it is not known if the suppression begins immediately after a 

 9-day stay in space or is a result of splashdown stresses. Because Cortisol, 

 in high doses, is known to control the immune response, the depressions in 

 lymphocytic responsiveness in this instance may be related to the 

 administration of Cortisol on R+0. 



PUBLICATIONS : 136, 137 



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