Kwiatkowski F, Abrial C, Gachon F, Chevrier R, Curé H, Chollet P
Centre Jean-Perrin, 58, rue Montalembert, 63011 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
Pathol Biol (Paris). 2005 Jun;53(5):269-72. doi: 10.1016/j.patbio.2004.12.018. Epub 2005 Jan 20.
Influence of stress on immunity and pathogenesis relates to corticotropic axis: hypothalamus-hypophysis-surrenals (HHS). Its over-stimulation due to traumas during early childhood or before birth seems to generate brain abnormalities such as reduction of hippocampus volume. More typical of adult age, hypothalamus-pineal gland axis (HP), responsible for melatonin production, may be impaired because of chronic stress, mainly through sleep disturbances or addictive behaviours. Old age has been reported to produce same impairments. Circadian cycle of melatonin is closely related to immune functions and its disturbance seems to induce, among populations undergoing frequent changes of life rhythm, a significant raise of cancer incidence: night shift workers, air pilots... Stress then seems enable to increase cancer risk through its negative impact on HHS and HP axis and therefore on immunity. Immunotherapy, which was an interesting solution considering this, has not yield yet expected results. Upstream, other ways have been successfully investigated in prospective randomised trials, such as psychotherapeutic treatments, with positive effects on cellular immunity and survival. The ability to condition immune responses in animals allows thinking that hypnotherapy could also be used along with standard treatments.
应激对免疫和发病机制的影响与促肾上腺皮质轴（下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺，即HHS）有关。童年早期或出生前因创伤导致该轴过度刺激，似乎会引发大脑异常，如海马体体积减小。对于成年人来说，负责褪黑素分泌的下丘脑-松果体轴（HP），可能会因慢性应激而受损，主要是通过睡眠障碍或成瘾行为。据报道，老年也会产生同样的损害。褪黑素的昼夜节律与免疫功能密切相关，其紊乱似乎会在生活节奏频繁变化的人群中，如夜班工作者、飞行员等，导致癌症发病率显著上升。因此，应激似乎通过对HHS和HP轴产生负面影响，进而影响免疫力，从而增加患癌风险。考虑到这一点，免疫疗法曾是一个有趣的解决方案，但尚未产生预期效果。在此之前，其他方法已在前瞻性随机试验中得到成功研究，如心理治疗，对细胞免疫和生存率有积极影响。动物实验中调节免疫反应的能力使人认为，催眠疗法也可与标准治疗方法一起使用。
