Determinants of the NF-κB response to acute psychosocial stress in humans

In summary, the present study shows for the first time in human psychosocial stress the negative association of cortisol and NF-κB. This parallels results from in vitro studies. Our finding of lower NF-κB stress responses in older age and in people with high chronic and acute stress might be interpreted as an adaptive dampening of NF-κB activity. In the absence of longitudinal data, however, this interpretation remains speculative.