The Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis

Demonstrates how the nervous, endocrine and immune systems interact continuously with each other and how they play fundamental roles in the physiology and pathophysiology of higher organisms.

Adriana Del Rey (Volume editor), George Chrousos (Volume editor), Hugo Besedovsky (Volume editor)

9780444530400, Elsevier Science

Hardback, published 7 July 2008

416 pages
24 x 16.5 x 2.7 cm, 0.9 kg

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis controls reactions to stress and regulates various body processes such as digestion, the immune system, mood and sexuality, and energy usage.

This volume focuses on the role it plays in the immune system and provides substantive experimental and clinical data to support current understanding in the field, and potential applications of this knowledge in the treatment of disease.

Part 1: Physiology - Introduction: The HPA Axis and the Immune system: interactions in perspective
Physiology of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenocortical axis
Molecular mechanisms of glucocorticoid signaling
Organization of the sympathetic nervous system
The innate immune system
Specific immune response
The immune system of the brain
Part 2: Effect of the HPA axis and the sympathetic system on the immune system - Glucocorticoid effects on the immune response
Glucocorticoids and dendritic cells: a link between innate and adaptive immunity
Toll-like receptors and glucocorticoids
Effects of glucocorticoids on the developing thymus
Effects of catecholamines on the immune response
Enhancing versus suppressive effects of stress on immune function
Part 3: Effect of the immune response on the HPA axis and the sympathetic nervous system - Processing of cytokine signals at CNS levels: relevance for immune-HPA axis interactions
Inflammatory mediator action on the anterior pituitary gland
Neuroendocrinology and the Immune Response. Inflammatory mediator effects on the adrenal gland
Inflammatory mediators affect the autonomic nervous system
Part 4: Clinical implications of neuro-endocrine-immune interactions - The neuroendocrinology and Immunology of critical illness
Neuroendocrinology of inflammatory disorders
The HPA axis in rheumatic autoimmune disorders
Glucocorticoid resistance in inflammatory diseases
Glucocorticoids and asthma: from clinics to genes

Subject Areas: Neurosciences [PSAN], Neurology & clinical neurophysiology [MJN], Immunology [MJCM]