NEUROENDOCRINE EFFECTS ON IMMUNITY

Communication occurs between organs and tissues of the body so that alterations of metabolic function can be detected. Subsequent to the presence of alterations of metabolic function, a biochemical response to restore baseline metabolism is initiated as a means of maintaining homeostasis in the body. For example, communication between plasma glucose concentrations and the beta-islet cells of the pancreas results in an adjustment in the concentration of insulin released with a restoration of glucose to physiological levels. Hormones released from endocrine tissue bind to specific receptors either on a cell membrane or within the cytoplasm of a cell, and modify an intracellular chemical process, often leading to an alteration of cell function. Just as cells within organs and tissues of the body have receptors for hormones, so too do the cells of the lymphoid system. Thus, the means for interactions between the endocrine and immune systems are present, as will be discussed below.