Persistently Low Natural Killer Cell Activity and Circulating Levels of Plasma Beta Endorphin: Risk Factors for Infectious Disease

Levy, Sandra M.; Fernstrom, John D.; Herberman, Ronald B.; Whiteside, Theresa L.; Lee, Jerry; Ward, Maria; Massoudi, Mehran S.

doi:10.21236/ada230350

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…At present, little is known of the health impact of deviations in NK cell activity within the normal range. Prospective studies designed to clarify the possible impact of chronically low NK cell activity have only recently been undertaken (e.g., Levy et al, 1991; Levy et al, 1989). Whereas there is some indication that persistently low NK cell activity may be associated with a greater risk for infectious diseases in young adults, our subjects did not show sustained decreases in NK cytotoxicity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-discrepancy and natural killer cell activity: Immunological consequences of negative self-evaluation.

Strauman¹,

Lemieux²,

Coe³

1993

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

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The study tested whether self-discrepancy theory could account for changes in natural killer (NK) cell activity after exposure to self-referential stimuli. Anxious, dysphoric, and control Ss were pretested and 1 month later covertly exposed to their own self-guides as well as those of another S. Blood samples were drawn for analysis of NK cytotoxicity and cortisol. The dysphoric Ss manifested the greatest actual:ideal discrepancy, whereas the anxious Ss manifested the greatest actual:ought discrepancy. Content analysis of written responses showed that activating discrepancies induced specific negative states; priming discrepancies also increased cortisol for the anxious Ss. NK activity was lower after self-referential priming for both distressed groups, particularly the anxious Ss. The control Ss showed a trend toward increased NK activity after self-referential priming. The study represents the 1st experimental demonstration that negative self-evaluation can alter immune responses.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-discrepancy and natural killer cell activity: Immunological consequences of negative self-evaluation.

Strauman¹,

Lemieux²,

Coe³

1993

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

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“…no significant changes, as well as increase or decrease of this function Murasko 1994, 1996), but a decrease with age in this cytotoxic activity is most frequently found (Ferra´ndez et al 1999;Solana et al 1999;De la Fuente et al 2001;Malaguarnera et al 2001). In fact, low NK activity was found to be a good predictor of morbidity (Levy et al 1991). The functional decline of NK cells during ageing, attributed to various factors such as the decreased responsiveness to the positive modulation with IL-2 (Miller 1991), could explain the high frequency of cancer and infectious diseases with ageing.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Changes with ageing in several leukocyte functions of male and female rats

et al. 2004

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The impairment of the immune system with aging, or 'immunosenescence', appears to contribute to the increased morbidity and mortality of aged subjects. T cell functions and Natural Killer activity seem to be the immune responses most affected by ageing. Since the immune system works more efficiently in females than in males, we have studied the changes of several immune functions with age in rats of both sexes. In addition, we have investigated if ovariectomy, a model of menopause in rats, produces a loss of this gender-related advantage. In the present work, the changes with age (2, 6, 12, 14, 18, 22 and 24 months old) in lymphocyte chemotaxis, T lymphoproliferative response to the mitogen ConA, IL-2 release and Natural Killer activity of cells from axillary nodes and spleen of male and female rats as well as of females ovariectomized at 12 months of age have been studied. An age-related decrease was found in all investigated functions, with a slightly different evolution depending on the immune organ and gender considered. In general, the data obtained show that a certain degree of immunosenescence takes place with age in rats, with males being less immunocompetent than intact age-matched females, but showing an immune response similar to that of ovariectomized animals.

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“…Another study found that nonopioid fragments of @endorphin (peptide segments 2-16, 2-17. and 6-17) enhance NK activity at picomolar levels through a naloxone-reversible pathway (29). Specifically, a recent study correlated low NK activity with low circulating levels of plasma @-endorphin and predicted higher illness morbidity (35). Moreover, the results suggest that unique opioid binding sites occur on these cells compared with those on neuronal tissue (the N terminus tyrosine is a requirement for opioid activity in neural tissue).…”

mentioning

confidence: 95%

The Role of Endogenous Opioids and Their Receptors in the Immune System

Carr

1991

Experimental Biology and Medicine

104

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Opioid peptides appear to be dynamic signaling molecules that are produced within the immune system and are active regulators of an immune response. Furthermore, the receptors for these peptides occurring on immunocyte membranes share characteristics with neuronal opioid receptors, including molecular size, immunogenicity, and the use of specific intracellular signaling pathways. Recent studies of the interaction of opioids with cytokines have indicated that opioid peptides are intimately involved within the immune system. Specifically, opioids, including 2-n-pentyloxy-2-phenyl-4-methyl-morpholine, naloxone, and beta-endorphin, have been shown to interact with IL-2 receptors (134) and regulate production of IL-1 and IL-2 (48-50, 135). Conversely, IL-1 has been shown to up-regulate opioid peptide binding in brain tissue (136). Furthermore, the induction of IL-1 by opioids has also been identified in the invertebrate Mytilus, indicating the evolutionary conservation of this relationship (137). These results seem to typify the intricate association between the immune and neuroendocrine systems through opioid pathways. It is predicted that future endeavors will use this relationship to diagnose and treat specific diseases that have at their basis neuroendocrine and immunologic imbalances.

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Persistently Low Natural Killer Cell Activity and Circulating Levels of Plasma Beta Endorphin: Risk Factors for Infectious Disease

Cited by 4 publications

References 14 publications

Self-discrepancy and natural killer cell activity: Immunological consequences of negative self-evaluation.

Self-discrepancy and natural killer cell activity: Immunological consequences of negative self-evaluation.

Changes with ageing in several leukocyte functions of male and female rats

The Role of Endogenous Opioids and Their Receptors in the Immune System

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