RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Neuroimmune mechanisms in health and disease: 2. Disease
JF Canadian Medical Association Journal
JO CMAJ
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP 1075
OP 1082
VO 155
IS 8
A1 H. Anisman
A1 M. G. Baines
A1 I. Berczi
A1 C. N. Bernstein
A1 M. G. Blennerhassett
A1 R. M. Gorczynski
A1 A. H. Greenberg
A1 F. T. Kisil
A1 R. D. Mathison
A1 E. Nagy
A1 D. M. Nance
A1 M. H. Perdue
A1 D. K. Pomerantz
A1 E. R. Sabbadini
A1 A. Stanisz
A1 R. J. Warrington
YR 1996
UL http://www.cmaj.ca/content/155/8/1075.abstract
AB In the second part of their article on the emerging field of neuroimmunology, the authors present an overview of the role of neuroimmune mechanisms in defence against infectious diseases and in immune disorders. During acute febrile illness, immune-derived cytokines initiate an acute phase response, which is characterized by fever, inactivity, fatigue, anorexia and catabolism. Profound neuroendocrine and metabolic changes take place: acute phase proteins are produced in the liver, bone marrow function and the metabolic activity of leukocytes are greatly increased, and specific immune reactivity is suppressed. Defects in regulatory processes, which are fundamental to immune disorders and inflammatory diseases, may lie in the immune system, the neuro endocrine system or both. Defects in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis have been observed in autoimmune and rheumatic diseases, chronic inflammatory disease, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. Prolactin levels are often elevated in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune diseases, whereas the bioactivity of prolactin is decreased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Levels of sex hormones and thyroid hormone are decreased during severe inflammatory disease. Defective neural regulation of inflammation likely plays a pathogenic role in allergy and asthma, in the symmetrical form of rheumatoid arthritis and in gastrointestinal inflammatory disease. A better understanding of neuroimmunoregulation holds the promise of new approaches to the treatment of immune and inflammatory diseases with the use of hormones, neurotransmitters, neuropeptides and drugs that modulate these newly recognized immune regulators.