Journal of Clinical and Cellular Immunology
Open Access

Denise L Bellinger

Publications

• Review Article
  Sympathetic Nervous System Regulation of Th Cells in Autoimmunity: Beyond Th1 and Th2 Cell Balance
  Author(s): Dianne Lorton and Denise L BellingerDianne Lorton and Denise L Bellinger
  
  Mechanisms that cause autoimmune disease are complex and include interactions with genetic, environmental, immunologic, and neural-endocrine factors. These events are often separated by many years, suggesting that disease onset requires a triggering event that if understood, could be targeted therapeutically. How tolerance is broken and disease onset is initiated remain enigmatic. Psychological stressors are implicated in the development and progression of autoimmune diseases. First, severe life stressors are strongly associated with disease onset in up to 80% of patients. Second, the major stress pathways, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and hypothalamicpituitary- adrenal (HPA) axis function become pathological in autoimmune diseases. Finally, there is a common “trifecta” of dysregulated immune functions, elevated SNS activity, low parasympathetic and low HPA-axis re.. View More»
  DOI: 10.4172/2155-9899.1000356

  Abstract PDF

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