Positive Health Online

Abstract

SHI and colleagues, Department of Molecular Genetics, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 661 Hoes Lane, Piscataway 08854, USA, shiyu@umdnj.edu, have reviewed (100 references) the implications of lymphocyte apoptosis for psychoneuroimmunology. Abstract: Psychological and physical stress serves as a good example of how the immune and nervous systems intercommunicate. Stress has been shown to alter susceptibility to various diseases. While acute stress often enhances immune response, chronic stress can lead to immunosuppression. Among many parameters commonly examined upon exposure to chronic stress are the reduction in lymphocyte proliferation and lymphocyte cellularity. Chronic restraint stress could induce lymphocyte reduction, and this effect depends on endogenous opioids. The effect of the endogenous opioids is exerted through increasing the available amount of a cell death receptor, Fas, and thus an increased sensitivity of lymphocytes to programmed cell death (apoptosis). Stress-induced lymphocyte reduction is not affected by adrenalectomy. The review focuses on the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and endogenous opioids and examines the mechanisms by which chronic stress influences lymphocyte apoptosis.

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References

Shi Y, Devadas S, Greeneltch KM, Yin D, Allan MR, Zhou JN. Stressed to death: implication of lymphocyte apoptosis for psychoneuroimmunology. Brain, Behavior and Immunity 17 Suppl 1: S18-26, Feb 200