J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  1998 Dec;9(4):607-613.

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

• Park JH

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.

MeSH Terms

Accidents, Traffic*
Cytokines*
Glucose*
Humans
Hydrocortisone*
Immune System
Interleukin-6
Oxidoreductases
Prospective Studies
Cytokines
Glucose
Hydrocortisone
Interleukin-6
Oxidoreductases