Immune System Effects on the Endocrine System

Review
In: Endotext [Internet]. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.; 2000.
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Excerpt

Among the most important and complex systems in the human body are the endocrine and immune systems. Emerging research over the last decade has shed light on their remarkable interplay, revealing a multitude of bidirectional communication pathways and reciprocal regulation mechanisms. Endocrine diseases, such as autoimmune thyroiditis, diabetes mellitus type 1 and type 2, osteoporosis, and disorders of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, as well as endocrine malignancies, such as thyroid cancer, are highly interconnected with dysregulations of the immune system. Thus, multiple cytokines, chemokines, and evolving inflammatory processes are involved in the pathogenesis of immune-related endocrine disorders, providing potential targets for immune-based therapeutic approaches. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive overview of the molecular mechanisms underlying these complex endocrine-immune interactions, and discuss the implications of immune system function or dysfunction in endocrine disorders. For complete coverage of all related areas of Endocrinology, please visit our on-line FREE web-text, WWW.ENDOTEXT.ORG.

Publication types

  • Review