immunoendocrinology

An intricate balance between soluble mediators, released by activated cells of the immune/inflammatory systems, and products of the neuroendocrine system is implicated in the presence of an autoimmune rheumatic disease. Monocytes/macrophages contribute to autoimmune events in rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), mainly acting as antigen-processing and presenting cells in the presence of an autoimmune rheumatic disease. Clinical symptoms such as morning stiffness and gelling, at least in RA, that peak during the late night and early morning, are consistent with the hypothesis that the immune function of activated cells (i...

Comorbid medical conditions are known to complicate the course and treatment of psychiatric disorders. This case study provides the first published report of Graves disease exacerbating the symptoms of Tourette's disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The lack of diagnosis of the Graves disease compromised the efficacy of the treatment of Tourette's disorder and ADHD. This case study supports the need to the consider increased risk of a second immunoendocrinological disorder in the presence of diabetes mellitus type I, one of the several disorders that comprise the syndrome of polyglandular autoimmune endocrinopathy type II...

Preterm labor is the final common pathway after several potential insults to the uterus or fetus. The preterm labor syndrome may be precipitated by several different pathophysiologic events, including intrauterine infection, uterine ischemia, uterine overdistention, hormonal disturbances, and other problems. Intrauterine infections (both clinically evident and subclinical) are associated with increased amniotic fluid concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines, and gestational tissues and the fetus are potential sources of these cytokines...

Various plasma protein patterns following inflammation and metabolic stress were described since diagnostic value of ESR was established. This reactive dysproteinemia is now recognized to reflect the shift in hepatic proteosynthesis after the immunoendocrinological activation. Four main groups of mediators are necessary for expression of hepatic positive and negative acute phase proteins (APPs): first and second "wave' of proinflammatory cytokines, further glucocorticoids and growth factors including insulin...

Immunoendocrinological studies were carried out in mice during a year after local X-ray irradiation of thymus, hypothalamus-hypophysis, gonads, spleen and thigh muscles. Irradiation of the organs caused the stress regardless of the dose and localisation. No stable immunoendocrinological changes was observed in exposed spleen and thigh muscles. Post-irradiation disfunction of the central and peripheral endocrine gland (hypothalamus-hypophysis, gonads, thymus) induced alterations in function of other endocrine glands and depressive state of the endocrine system...

In recent years the relationships among immune, endocrine and nervous systems have been extensively studied, and grouped in a new research field: psychoneuro-immunoendocrinology. Since ancient times its has been known that, in humans, mood as well as environmental influences could affect health. In the late '70s, only, evidence of bi-directional pathways has been achieved, first in animal models and, later on, in humans. We reviewed current knowledge on neuroimmunomodulation, concerning the influence of stress and psychological status on immunity as well as neuroendocrine modulation by the immune system, reporting some data obtained from our studies...

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In experimental murine cysticercosis caused by Taenia crassiceps, parasite reproduction is favored by thymectomy or by orchidectomy, and restricted by ovariectomy. Hormonal reconstitution experiments showed that 17-beta-estradiol increases parasite numbers whereas 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone was ineffective. Parasite numbers decreased with increments in cellular immunity but were insensitive to antibody levels. A possible immunoendocrinological interaction involving estrogen as a depressor of cellular immunity is envisaged in the control of cysticercosis...

The authors suggest some remarks on the aetiopathogenesis of systemic sclerosis through a critical review of a group of 51 patients affected by this disease for many years. In this paper the authors report their previous studies regarding the correlation of immunological response, both cell-mediated and humoral, hemocoagulative aspects and haemorheological changes. From the results of immunological studies, the authors report a long-term treatment with an immunomodulating drug: thymopentin. Moreover they report a recent work about the connection among stressor event, production of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and serum levels of some stress hormones such as possible pathogenetic factors of Raynaud's phenomenon and of scleroderma...

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The studies were performed on 103 samples of human fetal pancreas tissue (10th to 26th week of gestation). Of the mothers, 14 had insulin dependent type I diabetes mellitus (IDDM), and 33 of the samples were examined before and after cultivation for 14 days. 3 samples taken from fetuses in the 14th week of development (mothers without metabolic disorders) were examined in the electron microscope. Lymphocytes are generally irregularly distributed within the tissue. Groups of 3 to 5 lymphocytes are found in addition in the 12th week of development, and larger clusters (10 to 15 lymphocytes) appear from the 14th week onward...

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