Sympathetic Nervous System Dysfunction in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Brief Overview
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune condition characterized by chronic inflammation occurring locally within the synovial joints and systemically. Accumulating evidence supports an important role of the sympathetic nervous system in the pathophysiology of RA, both as a cause and consequence of inflammation. Acute sympathetic activation results in a shift from a T-helper (Th) 1 […]
2017 in Review: New Advances in Neuroendocrine Immunology
Editorial In 2017, we witnessed further rapid growth in the vast interdisciplinary area of neuroendocrine immunology. It became a tradition to reflect on the new significant developments and conceptual trends in the field that were presented at BrainImmune. We will retrace some of our commentaries, revisiting the studies on BrainImmune we believe are illustrative, stimulating […]
Understanding the Role of Inflammation in Fatigue Requires Multidimensional Assessments
Evolving concepts Introduction “I am tired”. What does this sentence actually imply? In a recent review published in Frontiers in Immunology [1], we suggest that the different dimensions of fatigue (Figure 1) should be specifically investigated, in subjective as well as objective ways. This is especially important if we are to comprehend the role of […]
TRPV1 Sensory Nerves May Be Key to the Genesis of Airway Hyperreactivity in Experimental Asthma
A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) of the USA implicates the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1)-expressing sensory nerves in the pathogenesis of asthma and/or asthma attacks. The TRPV1 receptor, initially identified as the receptor for capsaicin, the hot component of chilli peppers, is typically expressed in sensory […]
Magnified Peripheral IL-6 Response Linked To Stress Susceptibility and Higher Risk of Depression
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA is perhaps the first to demonstrate that the magnitude of peripheral interleukin (IL)-6 responses preceding stress challenge may confer inter-individual differences in susceptibility or resilience to a subsequent social stressor. Previous research indicates that in humans both major depression […]
Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone’s Inhibition of NLRP6 Inflammasome May Trigger Stress-Induced Enteritis in Mice
In the June 2013 issue of Gastroenterology, Sun et al. demonstrate that in mice stress is able to inhibit NLRP6, through a corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-dependent mechanism and to modify the composition of the gut microbiota, leading to intestinal inflammation. It is well known that psychological stress exacerbates the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Also, […]
New Evidence That Testosterone Provides Protection against Arthritis
A recent study by Rebecca Keith and coworkers from the National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, US, published in Arthritis and Rheumatism, provides further experimental evidence that testosterone deficiency might play a role in the development of arthritis. It is well known that sex hormones are involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In addition, […]
Immune & Cytokine Dysregulation Associated With Behavioral Deficits In A Mouse Model Of Autism
A new report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS) indicates that cellular and cytokine immune dysregulation may contribute to the autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-related behavioral deficits in a mouse model of an autism. Recent evidence indicates the involvement of an abnormal immune system activity in the pathogenesis of […]
Interleukin-6 – a Better Predictor of Future Cardiovascular Events Than C-Reactive Protein?
In a study published in the journal Cytokine, Hidenori Nishida and colleagues from the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan, demonstrate that an increased level of serum IL-6 is a significant predictor of future cardiovascular (CV) events in high-risk Japanese patients, independently of a variety of influencing factors. One of the paradigm shifts in […]
IL-17: A Promising Therapeutic Target in Several Chronic Inflammatory Diseases
Posted on June 9, 2014 By Rita Businaro Commentaries
Commentary on the study by Dominique L. P. Baete and Vijay K. Kuchroo Nat Med. 2013 Jul;19(7):824-5 How Cytokine networks fuel inflammation: Interleukin-17 and a tale of two autoimmune diseases Since the discovery of T helper 17 (Th17) cells, an increasing body of evidence indicates that these cells play a major role in the development […]