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Results for “Behavioral immune system”

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PubMedDate not supplied

[Natural autoantibodies against MP65 and ACBP14/18 and ontogenic formation of rat nervous system].

It was demonstrated that passive immunization of pregnant female rats against MP65 and ACBP14/18 proteins leads to stable changes in offspring behavior (deviations in acquisition of active avoidance in a shuttle-box and changes in the open-field behavior). Immunomorphological data about localization of MP65 and ACBP14/18 proteins in brain slices of adult rats and rat embryos are presented. The obtained results are discussed in terms of the influence of maternal humoral immunity on the formation of fetal nervous system during intrauterine development.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Psychosocial stress and prostate cancer: a theoretical model.

African-American men are more likely to develop and die from prostate cancer than are European-American men; yet, factors responsible for the racial disparity in incidence and mortality have not been elucidated. Socioeconomic disadvantage is more prevalent among African-American than among European-American men. Socioeconomic disadvantage can lead to psychosocial stress and may be linked to negative lifestyle behaviors. Regardless of socioeconomic position, African-American men routinely experience racism-induced stress. We propose a theoretical framework for an association between psychosocial stress and prostate cancer. Within the context of history and culture, we further propose that psychosocial stress may partially explain the variable incidence of prostate cancer between these diverse groups. Psychosocial stress may negatively impact the immune system leaving the individual susceptible to malignancies. Behavioral responses to psychosocial stress are amenable to change. If psychosocial stress is found to negatively impact prostate cancer risk, interventions may be designed to modify reactions to environmental demands.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2006

What are the commonalities governing the behavior of humoral immune recognitive repertoires?

The humoral repertoire of immune systems is large, random and somatically selected. It is derived from a germline selected repertoire by a variety of diversification mechanisms, complementation of subunits, mutation and gene conversion. However derived, the end-product must be able to recognize and rid a vast variety of pathogens. This is accomplished by viewing antigens as combinatorials of epitopes, an astuce that permits a small repertoire to respond sufficiently rapidly to a vast antigenic universe. A somatically generated repertoire, however, requires a solution to two problems. First, a somatic mechanism for a self-nonself discrimination has to be put in place. Second, the repertoire has to be coupled to the effector mechanisms in a coherent fashion. The rules governing these two mechanisms are species-independent and delineate the parameters of all immune repertoires, whatever the somatic mechanism used to generate them.

Allergy and Immunology↗
PubMed2000

A systematic approach to vaccine complexity using an automaton model of the cellular and humoral immune system. I. Viral characteristics and polarized responses.

A modern approach to vaccination faces the compound complexity of microorganism behavior and immune response triggering and regulation. Since computational modeling can yield useful guidelines for biological experimentation, we have used IMMSIM(3), a cellular automaton model for simulating humoral- and cell-mediated responses, to explore a wide range of virus-host relations. Sixty-four virtual viruses were generated by an assortment of speed of growth, infectivity level and lethal load. The outcome of the infections, as influenced by the immune response and the bolstering of cures, obtained by vaccine presensitization are illustrated in this first article. The results of the in machina experiments allow us to relate the success rate of responses to certain combinations of viral parameters and by freezing one or the other branch, and to determine that some viruses are more susceptible to humoral, and others to cellular responses, depending either on single parameters or combinations thereof. This finding allows prediction of which infection may be susceptible to polarized ((Th)(1)>Th(2) and Th(1)<Th(2)) responses and will eventually help designing vaccines whose action relies on antagonizing both the specificity and the behavior of the invader. A second, not lesser, result of this study is the finding that humoral and cellular responses, while cooperating, towards the cure of the infected body, also show significant patterns of competition and mutual thwarting.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of human papillomavirus infections.

During the past decade, much has been learned about the natural history of HPV. Most infections occur early in one's sexual life. The overwhelming majority of infections are cleared by the host immune system and never present as warts or neoplasia. Certain patient behavior such as smoking, frequent sex with many different partners, other STD infections, especially HIV, and immune-suppressive drugs promote HPV expression and cause persistent infection. Persistent HPV infection is very strongly related to neoplasia. In addition to high-risk HPV types, variant subtypes have been identified that interact with the host immune system to subvert host immunity and encourage viral persistence. New treatment programs rely on drugs that modulate the immune system and disrupt viral persistence. There is a real possibility of HPV vaccines in the future, which may protect the unexposed patient.

Cell Transformation, Neoplastic↗
PubMed1989

[What role does the immune system play in the condition of a double form of atopy? Note I. Considerations on the behavior of the lymphocyte population and the immunoglobulins in children with atopic dermatitis in whom asthma develops].

Certain humoral and cellular immunological parameters were assessed in patients with either pure atopic dermatitis or dermatitis combined with asthma in order to discover if there were any significant differences between the two clinical forms. The study was conducted on 15 children of both sexes who were investigated for a familial history of atopy, serum immunoglobulins including the IgE group and certain lymphocyte populations. The data reveal that apart from the immunoglobulins, the other immunological parameters perform no differently in pure dermatitis than in dermatitis and asthma. It is therefore deduced that the immunological damage might be caused by the basic eczema.

Asthma↗
PubMed1982

beta 2-Microglobulin and its relationship to the immune system.

beta 2-Microglobulin has been isolated from several species, but only bovine beta 2-microglobulin, previously known as lactollin, has been crystallized. An improved method for its isolation from colostrum is described. The bovine homologue exhibits a concentration-dependent aggregation behavior. beta 2-Microglobulin is related to both immune and histocompatibility antigen systems. It exhibits homology with the constant domains of the immunoglobulin-G light and heavy chains and is an integral part of histocompatibility antigens bound to cell surface. beta 2-Microglobulin also occurs in the free state in various body fluids including milk and colostrum. The possible relationship of elevated free beta 2-microglobulin of pathological conditions is suggested for future research.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Effects of psychological factors on the development of cardiovascular pathology: role of the immune system and infection.

Psychological factors affect the condition of both healthy and sick people. Acute and chronic stress, depression, anxiety, maladaptive personality traits, and other behavioral disorders cause the diseases of the heart and blood vessels. The same psychological factors suppress the immune system and promote infection. Recent studies have demonstrated that infections can play an important role in the development of coronary artery disease. The author suggests that the immune system may mediate the harmful effects of certain psychological factors on the cardiovascular system.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1997

The immune system in eating disorders: an overview.

Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, are becoming more and more common in our society. Although they are psychiatric illnesses, there are many factors involved, including abnormal food behavior. Nutrients play an important role in the development and functionality of immunocompetent cells. An impaired immunocompetence has been shown to be an important causal factor in the increased susceptibility of malnourished individuals to infectious disease. Therefore, studies on the immune system are of great interest when assessing the extent to which the nutritional status of these patients could be affected. However, the literature in this field is controversial, and the mechanisms are not yet completely defined, although some hypotheses try to clarify the disturbances caused in the organism under these bizarre circumstances. In spite of the fact that the immune system is altered by distorted food behaviors, such as in eating disorders, the awareness of characteristics of other systems involved, and therefore altered, by these pathologies would be very helpful for understanding the mechanisms triggered in these syndromes. In fact, the interactions among the immune and other systems in eating disorders are beginning to be studied. Finally, the main goals are to limit the evolution of these illnesses through early diagnosis, and to devise a long-lasting, definitive cure for these patients through appropriate therapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

The endogenous cannabinoid system and its role in nociceptive behavior.

The analgesic properties of exogenous cannabinoids have been recognized for many years and suggest a regulatory role for the endogenous cannabinoid ("endocannabinoid") system in mammalian nociceptive pathways. The endocannabinoid system includes: (1) at least two families of lipid signaling molecules, the N-acyl ethanolamines (e.g., anandamide) and the monoacylglycerols (e.g., 2-arachidonoyl glycerol); (2) multiple enzymes involved in the biosynthesis and degradation of these lipids, including the integral membrane enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase; and (3) two G-protein coupled receptors, CB1 and CB2, which are primarily localized to the nervous system and immune system, respectively. Here, we review recent genetic, behavioral, and pharmacological studies that have tested the function of the endocannabinoid system in pain sensation. Collectively, these investigations support a role for endocannabinoids in modulating behavioral responses to acute, inflammatory, and neuropathic pain stimuli.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Relation and interactions between the immune and neuroendocrine systems].

For far too long, the immune system has been viewed in isolation from the rest of the body's organ system. But now it is clear that the immune system is an integral part of the organ and physiological systems of whole organism. Especially, the immune and endocrine systems share many ligands and receptors that result in constant and important bidirectional communication. A new and important function for the immune system is to serve as a sensory organ for noncognitive stimuli such as infectious agents and tumours. On the other hand the neuroendocrine system can perform important immunoregulatory activities. It also suggest that brain is not more an immunologically privileged site. Recent studies provide a new view of immunoreactivity to antigens from the nervous system and to immune and inflammatory responses in brain. These may be influenced both by the circulating cytokines derived from the immune system and/or those endogenously produced within the neuroendocrine system. There is a growing body of evidence that cytokines are an integral part of the central nervous system with an important neuromodulatory role in neural mechanisms regulating stress responses, hormonal changes and various kinds of behavior. The mutual informatory circuit inside of the immune, nervous and endocrine systems suggest that they all form the superinformation system with pivotal regulatory role in living organisms. Overall, the recognition of the immune system as our sixth sense may ultimately provide the new understanding of physiology required for successful diagnostic and therapeutic programs against disease and stress involving immune-neuroendocrine communication. (Tab. 5, Ref. 35.)

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Combined effects modeling of ionizing radiation and biological agent exposures.

A simple two-species population model is used to simulate the interactions of a replicating pathogen and the immune system response. This deterministic model is flexible enough to reproduce the salient population-dynamic features, chiefly the tendency toward an equilibrium state in which the pathogen population is reduced to zero or a negligible level after some finite time. The specific immune system species that can be taken initially at zero increases to a finite equilibrium level that represents an immune system "memory" of a given pathogen. The coefficients in the model equations represent production, interaction, and loss rates. Their relative sizes determine the qualitative behavior of the solution in its phase space. The effect on the immune system of exposure to ionizing radiation is modeled by reducing the production rate coefficients; the reduction is proportional to the level of ionizing radiation. According to the model and based on historical hematopoietic data from retrospective accident studies, exposures to ionizing radiation can cause pathogen levels to rise an order of magnitude or more than the baseline (no radiation exposure) case and, for some simulated levels, escape from the bounded region of the phase space. A means is offered to link the deterministic model of time-varying pathogen level in an individual host to the corresponding probability of lethality (increasing with time) of an individual in a population.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

T cell deficiency leads to cognitive dysfunction: implications for therapeutic vaccination for schizophrenia and other psychiatric conditions.

The effects of the adaptive immune system on the cognitive performance and abnormal behaviors seen in mental disorders such as schizophrenia have never been documented. Here, we show that mice deprived of mature T cells manifested cognitive deficits and behavioral abnormalities, which were remediable by T cell restoration. T cell-based vaccination, using glatiramer acetate (copolymer-1, a weak agonist of numerous self-reactive T cells), can overcome the behavioral and cognitive abnormalities that accompany neurotransmitter imbalance induced by (+)dizocilpine maleate (MK-801) or amphetamine. The results, by suggesting that peripheral T cell deficit can lead to cognitive and behavioral impairment, highlight the importance of properly functioning adaptive immunity in the maintenance of mental activity and in coping with conditions leading to cognitive deficits. These findings point to critical factors likely to contribute to age- and AIDS-related dementias and might herald the development of a therapeutic vaccination for fighting off cognitive dysfunction and psychiatric conditions.

Amphetamine↗
PubMed2003

Intracerebroventricular passive immunization with anti-Abeta antibody in Tg2576.

Current Alzheimer's disease (AD) research has established the fact that excessive genesis of Abeta derived from amyloidogenic processing of beta-amyloid (Abeta) precursor protein is fundamental to AD pathogenesis. There has been considerable interest in using immunization strategies for clearing excessive Abeta. Studies in animal models of AD have shown that active immunizations or systemic passive immunizations reduced cerebral plaque load and improved behavioral deficits. However, clinical translation of an active immunization strategy was interrupted because of evidence for meningoencephalitis produced in some patients who received Abeta vaccine. Studies in animal models have shown perimicrovascular hemorrhages and inflammation after sustained systemic immunizations in animals with vascular amyloid. In this light, our data showing the effects of a single intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of anti-Abeta in the Alzheimer's Swedish mutant model Tg2576 are intriguing. We have previously demonstrated that a single ICV injection of anti-Abeta into the third ventricle of 10-month-old Tg2576 mice reduced cerebral plaques, reversed Abeta-induced depletion of presynaptic SNAP-25, and abolished astroglial activation as seen 1 month post-injection (Chauhan and Siegel [2002] J. Neurosci. Res. 69:10-23). The present report demonstrates that a single ICV injection of 10 microg anti-Abeta in 10-month-old Tg2576 mice reduced cerebral plaques, with decreased inflammation at this stage as evidenced by a reduced number of interleukin-1beta-positive microglia surrounding Congophilic plaques. Moreover, at this particular age, no microhemorrhage was discernible, as evidenced by the absence of hemosiderin deposition after a single ICV injection of anti-Abeta. This is the first report demonstrating absence of microhemorrhage and reduced inflammation after the ICV introduction of anti-Abeta in Tg2576 mice at 10 months of age. These facts indicate that, although invasive, ICV injection of anti-Abeta may be a safer method of vaccination in AD, possibly through reducing the vascular exposure to antibody. Further studies are warranted to determine the lasting effects of a single ICV anti-Abeta injection in animals with and without abundant plaque burden and at older ages.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1999

The relationship between interleukin-6 and herpes simplex virus type 1: implications for behavior and immunopathology.

Cytokines are hormones once thought to be restricted to the immune system produced solely by hematopoietic-derived cells and acting on receptors expressed by cells of the immune system. However, it is now clear that many cytokines are produced not only by lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes, and dendritic cells but are also synthesized by cells outside the realm of the immune system in response to stimuli that may not be associated with immune homeostasis. In fact, there is evidence supporting a role of selected cytokines modifying behavior and neuroendocrine function. Recently, a potential relationship between the cytokine interleukin (IL)-6 and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) reactivation has been found. This article discusses the relevance of these findings and considers the potential impact that HSV-1 infection has on behavior and chronic inflammatory processes that can occur in the nervous system during "latent" virus infection as a result of chronic IL-6 expression.

Herpes Simplex↗
PubMed1999

The health benefits of physical activity in children and adolescents: implications for chronic disease prevention.

UNLABELLED: Clinical, epidemiological and basic research evidence clearly supports the inclusion of regular physical activity as a tool for the prevention of chronic disease and the enhancement of overall health. In children, activities of a moderate intensity may enhance overall health, and assist in preventing chronic disease in at-risk youth. The numerous health benefits of regular exercise are dependent on the type, intensity and volume of activity pursued by the individual. These benefits include reduction of low density lipoproteins while increasing high density lipoprotein; improvement of glucose metabolism in patients with type II diabetes; improved strength, self esteem and body image; and reduction in the occurrence of back injuries. In addition, a progressive, moderate-intensity exercise program will not adversely effect the immune system and may have a beneficial effect on the interleukin-2/natural killer cell system. Furthermore, by decreasing sedentary behaviors and, thus, increasing daily physical activity, individuals may experience many stress-reducing benefits, which may enhance the immune system. CONCLUSION: Moderate intensity exercise of a non-structured nature seems to facilitate most of the disease prevention goals and health promoting benefits. With new guidelines promoting a less intense and more time-efficient approach to regular physical activity, it is hoped that an upward trend in the physical activity patterns, and specifically children at risk for chronic disease, will develop in the near future.

Adolescent↗