Patent Document ID: 20060014235
Application ID: 10533935
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for determining whether an individual, which is a mammal or bird, is experiencing changed physiological status arising from exposure to a psychological stressor, the method comprising: (a) contacting a test sample comprising neutrophils obtained from said individual with an inducer capable of stimulating superoxide production in neutrophils, under conditions suitable for such stimulation; (b) determining the increase in superoxide production above basal in said test sample after a time period when neutrophils of the same species in a control sample, which are free or substantially free of stress-induced activation or at least derived from one or more individuals exposed to the same regime minus a factor to be tested as a psychological stressor, will exhibit superoxide production under the same in vitro conditions; and (c) comparing the increase in superoxide production above basal observed in said sample with the increase in superoxide production above basal observed in a control sample as defined in (b) above under the same conditions; wherein lower superoxide production in said test sample is indicative of the effect of a psychological stressor on the individual's physiological status.