Neuropéptidos, estrés y alergia / Neuropeptides, stress and allergy

ABSTRACT

Histophysiological and biochemical data are exposed supporting the close connection between the central nervous system (cortex limbic system hypothalamus hypophysis) and the endocrine one. Evidences that some neural peptides (opioid neuropeptides: ONP) have specific receptors in immune cells and on the other hand that these cells produce cytokines that influence the neurons are described. It seems reasonable that under acute or chronic stress situations both systems strongly interconnected to maintain the homeostasis. The acute stress influences the innate immune response meanwhile the chronic one seems to affect the adaptative or acquired mechanism specially at the cytotoxic level. Allergic patients are deeply worsened by acute and chronic stress considering that the mastocytes are the tarjet of numerous cytokines and ONP released during the unpleasant events. So, we recommend peace in the mind, faith in the heart and work in the hands.