Immunoglobulin A response to acute stress in intimate partner violence perpetrators: The role of anger expression-out and testosterone

Aggressive behavior and immune activity are shown to be positively associated in perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). This relationship follows an inverted-U curve, with the most violent individuals showing lower levels of immunocompetence than those with a history of moderate violence. Moreover, the activational and organizational effects of testosterone (T) may indirectly stimulate the immune response. Given this, we used the Trier Social Stress Test to establish whether the salivary immunoglobulin A (sIgA) response to acute stress was a specific psychobiological feature in perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV perpetrators showed higher sIgA levels than controls for the preparation period. Moreover, higher anger expression and T (baseline and AUCi) were only related to higher sIgA levels in IPV perpetrators. We hypothesize that in IPV perpetrators, the use of violence against partners could benefit their psychological well-being - through immunological modifications such as mucosal immunity changes expressed by the sIgA - and so be rewarding for them. This research may provide a wider explanation of why IPV perpetrators use violence against their partners.