Meehan R, Whitson P, Sams C
Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262.
J Leukoc Biol. 1993 Sep;54(3):236-44. doi: 10.1002/jlb.54.3.236.
This paper summarizes previous in-flight infections and novel conditions of spaceflight that may suppress immune function. Granulocytosis, monocytosis, and lymphopenia are routinely observed following short duration orbital flights. Subtle changes within the monocyte and T cell populations can also be noted by flow cytometric analysis. The similarity between the immunological changes observed after spaceflight and other diverse environmental stressors suggest that most of these alterations may be neuroendocrine-mediated. Available data support the hypothesis that spaceflight and other environmental stressors modulate normal immune regulation via stress hormones, other than exclusively glucocorticoids. It will be essential to simultaneously collect in-flight endocrine, immunologic, and infectious illness data to determine the clinical significance of these results. Additional research that delineates the neuroendocrine mechanisms of stress-induced changes in normal immune regulation will allow clinicians in the future to initiate prophylactic immunomodulator therapy to restore immune competence altered by the stress of long-duration spaceflight and therefore reduce morbidity from infectious illness, autoimmune disease, or malignancy.
本文总结了以往的飞行中感染情况以及可能抑制免疫功能的新型太空飞行条件。在短期轨道飞行后，通常会观察到粒细胞增多、单核细胞增多和淋巴细胞减少。通过流式细胞术分析也可以注意到单核细胞和T细胞群体内的细微变化。太空飞行后观察到的免疫变化与其他各种环境应激源之间的相似性表明，这些改变大多可能是神经内分泌介导的。现有数据支持这样的假设，即太空飞行和其他环境应激源通过应激激素而非仅通过糖皮质激素来调节正常的免疫调节。同时收集飞行中的内分泌、免疫学和传染病数据对于确定这些结果的临床意义至关重要。进一步的研究若能阐明应激诱导正常免疫调节变化的神经内分泌机制，将使未来的临床医生能够启动预防性免疫调节剂治疗，以恢复因长期太空飞行应激而改变的免疫能力，从而降低传染病、自身免疫性疾病或恶性肿瘤的发病率。
