Special article / Article spécial

Neuroimmune mechanisms in health and disease: 2. Disease

Hymie Anisman, PhD; Malcolm G. Baines, PhD; Istvan Berczi, DVM, PhD; Charles N. Bernstein, MD, FRCPC; Michael G. Blennerhassett, PhD; Reginald M. Gorczynski, MD, PhD; Arnold H. Greenberg, MD, PhD; Fred T. Kisil, PhD; Ronald D. Mathison, PhD; Eva Nagy, MD; Dwight M. Nance, PhD; Mary H. Perdue, PhD; David K. Pomerantz, PhD; Edris R. Sabbadini, MD, PhD; Andrzej Stanisz, PhD; Richard J. Warrington, MD, BS, PhD, FRCPC

Canadian Medical Association Journal 1996; 155: 1075-1082

[résumé]


[Author information]

The first part of this article appeared in the Oct. 1, 1996, issue of CMAJ [abstract / résumé].

Paper reprints may be obtained from: Dr. Istvan Berczi, Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, 795 McDermot Ave., Winnipeg MB R3E 0W3; fax 204 772-7924; berczi@bldghsc.lan1.umanitoba.ca

The full text may also be ordered from the Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI) or Ovid Technologies.

© 1996 Canadian Medical Association (text and abstract/résumé)


Abstract

In the second part of their article on the emerging field of neuroimmunology, the authors present an overview of the role of neuroimmune mechanisms in defence against infectious diseases and in immune disorders. During acute febrile illness, immune-derived cytokines initiate an acute phase response, which is characterized by fever, inactivity, fatigue, anorexia and catabolism. Profound neuroendocrine and metabolic changes take place: acute phase proteins are produced in the liver, bone marrow function and the metabolic activity of leukocytes are greatly increased, and specific immune reactivity is suppressed. Defects in regulatory processes, which are fundamental to immune disorders and inflammatory diseases, may lie in the immune system, the neuro-endocrine system or both. Defects in the hypothalamus­pituitary­adrenal axis have been observed in autoimmune and rheumatic diseases, chronic inflammatory disease, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. Prolactin levels are often elevated in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune diseases, whereas the bioactivity of prolactin is decreased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Levels of sex hormones and thyroid hormone are decreased during severe inflammatory disease. Defective neural regulation of inflammation likely plays a pathogenic role in allergy and asthma, in the symmetrical form of rheumatoid arthritis and in gastrointestinal inflammatory disease. A better understanding of neuroimmunoregulation holds the promise of new approaches to the treatment of immune and inflammatory diseases with the use of hormones, neurotransmitters, neuropeptides and drugs that modulate these newly recognized immune regulators.

Résumé

Dans la deuxième partie de leur article sur le nouveau domaine de la neuro-immunologie, les auteurs présentent un aperçu du rôle des mécanismes neuro-immunitaires dans la défense contre les maladies infectieuses et les troubles immunitaires. Au cours d'une maladie fébrile aiguë, des cytokines immunodérivées provoquent une réaction de phase aiguë caractérisée par la fièvre, l'inactivité, la fatigue, l'anorexie et le catabolisme. Il se produit de profonds changements neuro-endocriniens et métaboliques : le foie produit des protéines de phase aiguë, la fonction de la moelle osseuse et l'activité métabolique des leucocytes augmentent considérablement, et l'immunoréactivité spécifique est supprimée. Des défauts des mécanismes de régulation qui jouent un rôle fondamental dans les troubles immunitaires et les maladies inflammatoires peuvent résider dans le système immunitaire, le système neuro-endocrinien, ou les deux. On a observé des défauts de l'axe hypothalamus­hypophyse­surrénales dans des cas de maladies auto-immunes et rhumatismales, de maladies inflammatoires chroniques, de syndrome de fatigue chronique et de fibromyalgie. Les taux de prolactine sont souvent élevés chez les patients atteints de lupus érythémateux général et d'autres maladies auto-immunes, tandis que la bioactivité de la prolactine diminue chez les patients atteints de polyarthrite rhumatoïde. Les taux d'hormones sexuelles et d'hormones thyroïdiennes diminuent au cours de maladies inflammatoires graves. Un trouble de la régulation neurale de l'inflammation joue probablement un rôle pathogène dans l'allergie et l'asthme, dans la forme symétrique de la polyarthriterhumatoïde et dans l'inflammation gastro-intestinale. Une meilleure compréhension de la neuro-immunorégulation pourrait déboucher sur de nouvelles façons de traiter des maladies immunitaires et inflammatoires au moyen d'hormones, de neurotransmetteurs, de neuropeptides et de médicaments qui modulent ces immunorégulateurs que l'on vient tout juste de reconnaître.
Dr. Anisman is with the Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ont.; Dr. Baines is with the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Que.; Dr. Berczi is with the Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.; Dr. Bernstein is with the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.; Dr. Blennerhassett is with the Department of Pathology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Dr. Gorczynski is with the Department of Surgery and Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Dr. Greenberg is director of the Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology, Winnipeg, Man.; Dr. Kisil is with the Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.; Dr. Mathison is with the Department of Medical Physiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; Dr. Nagy is with the Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.; Dr. Nance is with the Department of Pathology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.; Dr. Perdue is with the Intestinal Disease Research Unit, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Dr. Pomerantz is with the Department of Physiology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ont.; Dr. Sabbadini is with the Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.; Dr. Stanisz is with the Department of Pathology and the Intestinal Disease Research Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; and Dr. Warrington is with the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.
| CMAJ October 15, 1996 (vol 155, no 8)  /  JAMC le 15 octobre 1996 (vol 155, no 8) |