title: Dopamine up-regulates Th17 phenotype from individuals with generalized anxiety disorder.
abstract: Our objective was to evaluate the effect of stress-related dose of dopamine (DA) on the in vitro proliferation and cytokine production in polyclonally-activated T cells from healthy individuals or individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Our results demonstrated that cell cultures from GAD group proliferated less following T cell activation, as compared with control group. The addition of DA reduced the proliferative response in cell cultures from healthy but not from GAD individuals. The cytokine profile in GAD individuals revealed Th1 and Th2 deficiencies associated with a dominant Th17 phenotype, which was enhanced by DA. A similar DA-induced immunomodulation was also observed in PPD-activated cell cultures from GAD individuals. Unlike the control, DA-enhanced Th17 cytokine production in GAD individuals was not affected by glucocorticoid. In conclusion, our results show that the T cell functional dysregulation in GAD individuals is significantly amplified by DA. These immune abnormalities can have impact in increasing the susceptibility of individuals with anxiety disorders to infectious diseases and inflammatory/autoimmune disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thais B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Taissa M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.forename: Priscila O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Morgana M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Vera Carolina B
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Bittencourt
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hygino
authors.forename: Regis M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Ulisses C
authors.initials: UC
authors.lastname: Linhares
authors.forename: Arnaldo F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Cleonice A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bento
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000473:pathology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D010641:Phenotype; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D014316:Tritium / Q000378:metabolism; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000494:pharmacology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D016207:Cytokines; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D008934:Mitogens; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D014373:Tuberculin; D014316:Tritium; D013936:Thymidine; D004298:Dopamine