Effects of sleep deprivation on human immune functions
Abstract
The effect of 40 h of wakefulness on a variety of immunological parameters in the peripheral blood from 10 normal male subjects was studied. Sleep deprivation led to enhanced nocturnal plasma interleukin 1‐like and interleukin 2‐like activities. The rise in nocturnal response of lymphocytes to pokeweed mitogen stimulation during a normal 24 h sleep‐wake cycle was delayed by sleep deprivation, but the response to the phytohemagglutinin mitogen was unaffected. With resumed nocturnal sleep, there was a prolonged decline in natural killer cell activity (measured as spontaneous cytolytic activity for human tumor cells) and return of an increased response to pokeweed mitogen. The altered patterns in immune functions occurred independently of the Cortisol circadian rhythm, which remained unchanged.—M oldofsky , H.; L ue , F. A.; D avidson , J. R.; G orczynski , R. Effects of sleep deprivation on human immune functions. FASEB J. 3: 1972‐1977; 1989.
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Extended wakefulness (40 h) or prolonged sleep loss raised IL-1-like and IL-2-like activity independently of cortisol rhythm.
“prolonged sleep loss or 40 h of wakefulness induced elevated levels of IL-1-like and IL-2-like activity, and that this increase was independent of the cortisol circadian rhythm (Moldofsky et al, 1989).”
From Sleep health: Reciprocal regulation of sleep and innate immunity (2017) · cites this paper as Moldofsky et al, 1989
Altered sleep has been observed in rats and mice following dietary supplementation of commensals.
“altered sleep in rats and mice following the dietary supplementation of commensals (385, 542).”
From The Sleep-Immune Crosstalk in Health and Disease (2019) · cites this paper as [385]
In some studies cortisol secretion seemed to be almost unaffected by recovery sleep following prolonged wakefulness.
“while in some studies cortisol secretion seemed to be almost unaffected by recovery sleep following prolonged wakefulness [78–80]”
From Impact of Sleep and Its Disturbances on Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Activity (2010) · cites this paper as [78]
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“…prolonged sleep deprivation induced an activation of innate immunity, although measures of circulating levels of cytokines relied on bioassays that lacked specificity and it was not known what cytokine contributed to reported increases in IL-1like and IL-2-like activity (Moldofsky et al. 1989).”
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Sleep Medicine - Asleep or Awake?
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- Authors
- Moldofsky, H., Lue, F. A., Davidson, J. R., & Gorczynski, R.
- Affiliations
- Toronto Western Hospital (CA)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Moldofsky, H.
- Venue
- The FASEB Journal
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1989-06
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1972-1977
- ISSN
- 0892-6638 (ISSN-L)
- 1530-6860
- OpenAlex
- W1511475277
- Cited by
- 250
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 6.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The FASEB Journal (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Keywords
- sleep deprivation, immune function, interleukin-1, interleukin-2, natural killer cells, lymphocyte mitogen response, pokeweed mitogen, phytohemagglutinin, cortisol, circadian rhythm, sleep-wake cycle, lymphocyte cytotoxicity
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Circadian Rhythm, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Immunity, Cellular, Interleukin-1, Interleukin-2, Killer Cells, Natural, Lymphocyte Activation, Lymphocytes, Male, Sleep, Sleep Deprivation
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