Psychoneuroimmunology and skin diseases

Abstract

Psychoneuroimmunology has emerged as a broad interdisciplinary field examining the interaction between the psychological state, the nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system. Psychodermatology or psychocutaneous medicine is an intersection of psychiatry, psychology and dermatology. There is a growing awareness of the connection between psychosocial stress and somatic illnesses, including dermatological diseases. Psychosomatic factors are considered significant in more than a third of people suffering from skin diseases. Communication between the psyche and the skin is a complex interaction of psychological, immunologic and endocrine factors with the skin, involving a number of neuropeptides, interleukins and immune system mediators. The skin, being the largest organ of the body, is equipped with metabolic and endocrinological capacities that facilitate homeostatic control between internal and external environments. In addition to psychosocial stress, factors relevant for a psychoneuroimmunological approach to skin diseases include nutrition, gut and skin microbiota, sleep and circadian rhythm, physical activity, and orthomolecular medicine. Knowledge of psychoneuroimmunological mechanisms and factors relevant for a holistic approach is very important for a better and broader understanding of skin diseases, and for better therapeutic outcomes for patients. Sažetak:Psihoneuroimunologija se pojavila kao široko interdisciplinarno područje koje obuhvaća povezanost psihičkog stanja, živčanog sustava, endokrinološkog sustava i imunološkog sustava. Psihodermatologija ili psihokutana medicina područje je ispreplitanja psihijatrije, psihologije i dermatologije. Sve je veći broj spoznaja koja govore o vezi psihosocijalnog stresa i somatskih bolesti, uključujući dermatološke bolesti. Psihosomatski čimbenici smatraju se značajnima u više od trećine osoba oboljelih od kožnih bolesti. Komunikacija između psihe i kože uključuje složene interakcije između psiholoških, imunoloških i endokrinoloških čimbenika sa kožnim sustavom, u čemu sudjeluje niz stvorenih neuropeptida, interleukina i posrednika imunološkog sustava. Pritom je koža, kao najveći organ tijela, opremljena metaboličkim i endokrinološkim sposobnostima koje olakšavaju homeostatsku kontrolu između unutarnjih i vanjskih okruženja. Uz psihosocijalni stresa, čimbenici važni unutar psihoneuroimunološkog pristupa kožnim bolestima uključuju prehranu, mikrobiom crijeva i kože, spavanje i cirkadijalni ritam, fizičku aktivnost i ortomolekularnu medicinu. Poznavanje psihoneuroimunoloških mehanizama i čimbenika relevantnih za holistički pristup vrlo je važno zbog boljeg razumijevanje kožnih bolesti, a ujedno i za bolji terapijski ishod u bolesnika. ključne riječi: psihoneuroimunologija, psihodermatologija, kožne bolesti, stres, psorijaza, atopijski dermatitis OPEN ACCESS

The Influence of Psychological Stress on HPV Infection Manifestations and Carcinogenesis

“…More recent approaches define stress as any stimulus that causes sudden termination of ordinary activities, that is, an event that goes beyond what is normal for the organism. The impact or effect, which stress can have, depends on a person's genetic pool, experiences, and behaviors [24][25][26][27][28]. The biopsychosocial model of disease and health, for example, asserts that biological, psychological and social factors interdependently affect the course and outcome of disease (Fig.…”

“…palpitations, shortness of breath, perspiration, angina pectoris, frequent infections) or psychological symptoms (e.g. indecisiveness, poor concentration and memory loss, high sensitivity, sleep [26][27][28].…”

“…During stress, the brain and CNS are the main actors; their response includes a variety of crucial neuroendocrine and autonomic reactions in order to achieve homeostasis [25][26][27][28][32][33][34][35]. During that process, neurogenic stressors activate processes in the CNS.…”

“…It is important to emphasize that ACTH stimulates the release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal glands, meaning cortisol is a main stress hormone. Sympatho-adrenomedullary axis (SAM) activation stimulates CRH secretion in the hypothalamic periventricular neuron (PVN) area [25][26][27][28]38]. Stress enhances the activities of many systems and releasing of various substances, including catecholamines, opiates and corticosteroids, which have an immunosuppressive effect by decreasing activity of cytokines and inflammation.…”

“…For example, acute stress increases the number of lymphocytes in the peripheral blood, especially natural killer (NK) cells. Also, during short-term stress events (e.g., an exam), cytokine production disturbances have been observed along with a shift from T helper lymphocytes type 1 (Th1) towards T helper lymphocytes type 2 (Th2), with higher levels of immunoglobulins [25][26][27][28]38].…”