{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.022172949002217297, 'fraction_numerical': 0.007095343680709534, 'mean_word_length': 5.319327731092437, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Stress, Mood, Immunity and Recurrence of Genital Herpes

This study was a prospective investigation of the relationship between psychological factors and recurrence of genital herpes simplex virus (HSV). In addition, we studied the influence of psychological factors on aspects of cellular immunity which may play a role in protecting against HSV recurrence. Thirty-six patients with chronic recurrent HSV were interviewed and filled out questionnaires once a month for 6 months. Stressful life experience (including acute and chronic stressors, anticipated stressors, distress over previous life experiences, and the stresses of having herpes) as well as negative affect (depression, anxiety, and hostility), fatigue and symptoms of other infections were investigated as potential HSV recurrence triggers. Recurrences of HSV over the 6 months were medically documented and/or reported during the monthly interviews. At each monthly interview, a subsample of nineteen of the subjects had a blood sample drawn for assay of the proportion of helper-inducer (CD4) and suppressor-cytotoxic (CD8) T cells. Subjects who reported more stressful life experience over the course of the study demonstrated a lower proportion of both CD4 and CD8 cells when compared with less stressed individuals (TABLE 1 ). Subjects reporting more negative affect displayed a lower proportion of CD8 cells only. Fatigue and infection symptoms were associated with CD4 levels only. The number of reported symptoms of other infections had a close to significant relationship with the rate of HSV recurrence over the 6-month study period (TABLE 2). Since infection may trigger HSV recurrences in some patients, a further analysis was conducted, removing subjects whose recurrences may be triggered by their high level of infectious symptoms. Depressive mood was significantly associated with recurrence rate in this sample of subjects (n = 24). The relationships between psychological factors and immune and HSV recurrence outcomes were not attributable to changes in health behaviors, such as alcohol use. The timing of changes in CD4 and CD8 levels with respect to HSV recurrences was explored. Decreased percentages of CD8 cells were found to precede and follow recurrent episodes.