Stress hormones and immune function

Over the past 20 years we have demonstrated both in animal models and in human studies that stress increases neuroendocrine hormones, particularly glucocorticoids and catecholamines but to some extent also prolactin, growth hormone and nerve growth factor. We have also shown that stress, through action of these stress hormones, has detrimental effects on immune function, including reduced NK cell activity, lymphocyte populations, lymphocyte proliferation, antibody and reactivation of latent viral infectious. Such effects on the system have severe consequences health which include, but are not limited to, delayed wound healing, impaired responses to vaccination and development and progression of cancer. These data provide scientific evidence of the effects of stress on immune function and implications for health. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.