title: Effects of beta endorphin on specific immune responses in man.
abstract: Synthetic human beta endorphin shows a biphasic effect on the production of specific anti-herpes viral antibodies in vitro. At higher concentrations antibody production is reduced, at lower concentrations it is enhanced. In a proportion of donors whose cells do not produce specific antibody when cultured with antigen alone, the lower concentrations of beta endorphin allow antigen-driven specific antibody production to occur. Specific anti-herpes viral antibodies are also made by natural killer (NK) cell-depleted populations from the same non-producer donors. beta endorphin also exerts biphasic effects on NK, although the direction of the modulation is a mirror image of the effects on antibody production. This suggests that the immunomodulatory actions of beta endorphin on specific immune responses are mediated in part by effects on NK suppressor-inducer cells.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Chemical Immunology, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, London, U.K.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lightman
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hobbs
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology*; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D001615:beta-Endorphin