Stress, Immunology, and Cytokines

Abstract

Stress was considered, in general, to be immunosuppressive. This chapter indicates that stress hormones may influence the immune response in a different way. There is a close connection between stress, cytokines, and the function of T helper. Glucocortecoids and catecholamines, the major stress hormones, inhibit IL-12 and increase IL-10, thus causing a switch from Th1 to Th2. Glucocortecoids and catecholamines induced by stress inhibit IL-6 and IL-1, thus inhibiting Th17 and causing an upregulation of T-reg cells. In conclusion, we suggest that stress may in fact be anti-inflammatory and may prevent manifestation of autoimmune diseases.