Butts Cherie L, Sternberg Esther M
Section on Neuroendocrine Immunology and Behavior, National Institute of Mental Health/NIH, 5625 Fishers Lane, Room 4N15, MSC 9401, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Cell Immunol. 2008 Mar-Apr;252(1-2):7-15. doi: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2007.09.009. Epub 2008 Mar 7.
An increasing body of evidence demonstrates that there is bidirectional communication between the neuroendocrine and immune systems. Interaction between these systems results in a variety of outcomes, including the well documented "sickness behavior" elicited by cytokines of the immune system that can enter the brain and activate second messengers that modify neuronal activity. Crosstalk between the neuroendocrine and immune systems can also result in production of factors by the nervous and endocrine systems that alter immune cell function and subsequent modulation of immune responses against infectious agents and other pathogens. Continued exposure to molecules produced by the neuroendocrine system has also been known to increase susceptibility and/or severity of disease. Furthermore, neuroendocrine factors are thought to play a major role in gender-specific differences in development of certain disorders, including autoimmune/inflammatory diseases that have a two to tenfold higher incidence in females compared to males. Neuroendocrine factors can affect immune cells at the level of gene transcription but have also been shown to modify immune cell activity by interacting with intracellular molecules, resulting in modified ability of these cells to mount a potent immune response. In this review, we will consider various effects of the neuroendocrine system and its proteins on specific populations of immune cells and associated responses in host immunity against pathogens. We will further discuss how this modification of immune cell activity by the neuroendocrine system can contribute to susceptibility/severity of disease development.
越来越多的证据表明，神经内分泌系统和免疫系统之间存在双向交流。这些系统之间的相互作用会产生多种结果，包括免疫系统细胞因子引发的“疾病行为”，这种行为已被充分记录，细胞因子可进入大脑并激活第二信使，从而改变神经元活动。神经内分泌系统和免疫系统之间的相互作用还会导致神经和内分泌系统产生一些因子，这些因子会改变免疫细胞功能，并随后调节针对传染原和其他病原体的免疫反应。持续接触神经内分泌系统产生的分子也已知会增加疾病的易感性和/或严重程度。此外，神经内分泌因子被认为在某些疾病的性别特异性差异发展中起主要作用，包括自身免疫性/炎症性疾病，女性的发病率比男性高两到十倍。神经内分泌因子可以在基因转录水平上影响免疫细胞，但也已显示通过与细胞内分子相互作用来改变免疫细胞活性，从而导致这些细胞产生有效免疫反应的能力发生改变。在这篇综述中，我们将探讨神经内分泌系统及其蛋白质对特定免疫细胞群体的各种影响，以及在宿主针对病原体的免疫中相关的反应。我们还将进一步讨论神经内分泌系统对免疫细胞活性的这种改变如何导致疾病发展的易感性/严重程度。
