Arora Sarika, Bhattacharjee Jayashree
Int J Yoga. 2008 Jul;1(2):45-55. doi: 10.4103/0973-6131.43541.
Stress is a constant factor in today's fastpaced life that can jeopardize our health if left unchecked. It is only in the last half century that the role of stress in every ailment from the common cold to AIDS has been emphasized, and the mechanisms involved in this process have been studied. Stress influences the immune response presumably through the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis, hypothalamic pituitary-gonadal axis, and the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary system. Various neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, hormones, and cytokines mediate these complex bidirectional interactions between the central nervous system (CNS) and the immune system. The effects of stress on the immune responses result in alterations in the number of immune cells and cytokine dysregulation. Various stress management strategies such as meditation, yoga, hypnosis, and muscle relaxation have been shown to reduce the psychological and physiological effects of stress in cancers and HIV infection. This review aims to discuss the effect of stress on the immune system and examine how relaxation techniques such as Yoga and meditation could regulate the cytokine levels and hence, the immune responses during stress.
压力是当今快节奏生活中的一个持续因素，如果不加以控制，可能会危及我们的健康。直到最近半个世纪，压力在从普通感冒到艾滋病等各种疾病中的作用才得到强调，并且这一过程中涉及的机制也得到了研究。压力可能通过激活下丘脑 - 垂体 - 肾上腺轴、下丘脑 - 垂体 - 性腺轴以及交感 - 肾上腺 - 髓质系统来影响免疫反应。各种神经递质、神经肽、激素和细胞因子介导中枢神经系统（CNS）与免疫系统之间这些复杂的双向相互作用。压力对免疫反应的影响导致免疫细胞数量的改变和细胞因子失调。诸如冥想、瑜伽、催眠和肌肉放松等各种压力管理策略已被证明可以减轻癌症和HIV感染中压力对心理和生理的影响。本综述旨在讨论压力对免疫系统的影响，并研究诸如瑜伽和冥想等放松技巧如何调节细胞因子水平，从而在压力期间调节免疫反应。
