神經免疫調節

Neuroimmunomodulation

The author reviewed the evidences of bidirectional communication between immune systems and neuroendocrine systems. 1) The immune cells can synthesize the biologically active neuroendocrine peptide hormones. 2) The immune cells also possess the receptors for these peptides. 3) These neuroendocrine hormones can influence the immune function. 4) Lymphokines can influence the neurocendocrine tissues. However, there remained a lot o f questions to be answered. It is valuable to identify the triggering factors to synthesize neuroendocrine hormones by the immune cells, and to understand the factors to control neuroendocrine hormonal receptors for the immune cells. Because leukocytes produce hormones and also have the receptors for the same hormones, these immunocytes possibly exert a unique role via autocrine-like pattern. In conclusion, the immune systems can react as sensory organs for the external stimuli which cannot be detected by the nervous systems. In other words, immune systems recognize the stimuli like bacteria, virus and tumor cells, while nervous systems recognize the classical sensory stimuli. The hormonal production and function in the extrahypothalamic areas can supply the evidences to identify psychological and pathological conditions in the pathophysiology of infectious diseases and tumors.