Stress is thought to exacerbate a number of diseases, some of which are skin disorders.
Epidermal Langerhans' cells play a major role in cutaneous immune reactions. Mice received stress by immobilization or housing at various population densities. Contact hypersensitivity reaction to 2,4,6-trinitrochlorobenzene was elicited in mouse ears. The cell density, intensity of I-A expression, and number of dendrites were decreased as the population density increased. Elicitation of contact hypersensitivity was suppressed in mice that received either population or immobilization stress.