“…Stimulated immunocytes, including B and T lymphocytes, splenocytes, and monocytes produce factors that are immunologically and biologically, but not biochemically, identical to peptide hormones: ACTH, endorphin (END), TSH and hCG (Smith and Blalock, 1988). Interestingly, the leukocyte derived gene for the ACTH/ END precursor proopiomelanocortin (POMC) is identical, but the processing of POMC to its final peptide products differs somewhat from the pituitary (Harbour-McMenamin et al, 1985). Peripheral lymphocytic ACTH is steroidogenic , corticotropinreleasing factor (CRF) acts as inflammatory cytokine (Karalis et al, 1991), and lymphocytic endorphin binds to opiate receptors both in vivo and in vitro (Harbour-McMenamin et al, 1985).…”