title: Stress, depression, and the immune system.
abstract: The major neurobiologic processes associated with stress have been observed in depression, and a consideration of the effect of stress on the immune system may provide further understanding of the biology of depressive disorders. A series of studies investigating stress-induced alterations of the immune system demonstrate that stress-induced modulation of immunity is complex and involves a range of neurobiologic mechanisms. Altered immune system measures do not appear to be a specific biologic correlate of major depressive disorder but may occur in subgroups of depressed patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029-6574.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008016:Life Change Events; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008934:Mitogens; D051381:Rats; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D008934:Mitogens