Alterations in immunocompetence during stress, bereavement, and depression: focus on neuroendocrine regulation.

There is now clear evidence that stress, bereavement, and depression can compromise specific components of the immunologic apparatus. The first part of this paper gives an overview of fundamental immunology and is followed by a review of the patterns, possible causes, and potential clinical implications of abnormal immunoregulation. After a discussion of the immunomodulating properties of glucocorticoids, the authors conclude with an overview of the many factors that mediate the complex interdependence between immunologic function, the brain, and neuroendocrine regulation.