Abstract

What Stress Means for the Invulnerable Reaction

When faced with a stressor, the body initiates physiological changes to help cope with the situation. However, if stress responses are constantly activated, such as through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and sympatheticadrenal-medullary axes, it can lead to the continual production of glucocorticoid hormones and catecholamines. The expression of glucocorticoid receptors on immune cells can interfere with the function of NF-kB, which regulates cytokine-producing immune cells, while adrenergic receptors can activate the cAMP response element binding protein and trigger the transcription of genes encoding various cytokines. These changes in gene expression can disrupt immune function, leading to immune dysregulation. There is compelling evidence from animal and human studies that the extent of stress-related immune dysregulation is significant enough to affect overall health.

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