Infections in Endocrinology: Viruses

Viruses are one of the simplest pathogenic organisms infecting the human body. Association between viral infections and endocrine system is complex and has not been fully studied. Viral infections can induce several physiological changes in the human endocrine system, resulting in cytokine mediated activation of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis to increase cortisol production, thus modulating the immune response. Further, many viral infections impact different endocrine organs, either by direct viral invasion or by systemic or local inflammation resulting in transient or permanent endocrinopathies; both hyper and hypofunction of endocrine organs may ensue. Viruses can encode production of specific viral proteins that have structural and functional homology to human hormones. Since endocrine hormones have immunoregulatory functions, endocrinopathies may alter the susceptibility of human body for viral infections. Recently the pandemic causing SARS 2 CoV infection has been shown to affect multiple endocrine organs through a variety of mechanisms, highlighting the significance of viral infection related endocrinopathies in morbidity and mortality. With improving understanding of viruses and their role in the human endocrine system, further research on this field would be required to explore new targets for prevention and treatment of endocrinopathies. For complete coverage of all related areas of Endocrinology, please visit our on-line FREE web-text, WWW.ENDOTEXT.ORG.