Effects of Stress induced by Traffic Accidents on the Blood Concentrations of Cortisol, Glucose and Cytokines

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Traffic accident is a catastrophic event which induces severe stress to the victims. According to psychoneuroimmunolgic studies, the stress induced by traffic accident may affect emotion, neuroendocrine and immune systems. This study was designed to investigate what is the effect of the stress induced by traffic accident on the secretions of cortisol, IL-1alpha and IL-6 and the relationship with blood levels of glucose and lactic dehydrogenase in the traffic accident victims. METHODS: Thirty five traffic accident victims and eleven normal healthy control persons were included in this prospective, randomized study. Ten milliliters of blood were drawn at 1hr and after 12hr after trauma from the victims and normal control to evaluate the parameters. RESULTS: The level of cortisol was significantly different between traffic accident patients(115.181microgram/ml) and normal healthy control(39.10microgram/ml) after 12hrs (p<0.05). There were significant differences at the level of glucose(control 139.7mg/ml;patient 75.2mg/ml) and IL-6 (control 1.01pg/ml; patient 238.46pg/ml) between control and traffic accident patients at 1hr. CONCLUSION: This results suggested that the secretion of cortisol, IL-6, and the blood levels of glucose were markedly changed by the stress of traffic accident.