Psychoimmunology, For 1st year Msc Nursing

Psychoimmunology is relatively new field of study, examines the effect of psychosocial stress on the body’s immune system.

1. PSYCHOIMMUNOLOGY 1 st year MSc Nursing

2. Psychoimmunology is relatively new field of study, examines the effect of psychosocial stress on the body’s immune system. INTRODUCTION

3. Relationship between psychiatric syndromes and immune function has been a consistent theme since the beginning of modern medicine.
In 1964, George F. Solomon , from the university of California and his research team coined the term “ Psychoimmunology ” and published a landmark paper: Emotions, immunity, and disease : a speculative theoretical integration HISTORY

4. PSYCHOIMMUNOLOGY “ The branch of medicine that studies the effect of psychological and social factors on the functioning of the immune system”. OR “The study of the connection between the mind and the immune system”.

5. IMMUNITY Immunity is the state of having sufficient biological defenses to avoid infection, diseases or other unwanted biological invasion .

6. 1 . Innate immunity ( Inborn) 2 . Acquired immunity TYPES OF IMMUNITY

7. Acquired immunity Passive ( Ready made Antibodies ) Active (Own Antibodies )

8. CLASSIFICATION OF IMMUNITY

9. NORMAL IMMUNE RESPONSES Cell responsible for nonspecific reactions include (WBC) neutrophils, monocytes and macrophages.
They work to destroy the invasive organism
If these cells are not effective in accomplishing a satisfactory healing response, specific immune mechanism take over .

10. Specific immune system are divided into two major types
1. The cellular response ( T – lymphocytes cell )
2. Humoral response ( B – lymphocyte cell )

11. Killer T cell Destroys viruses that produce inside other cells by puncturing the cell membrane of the host cell and allowing the contents of the cell, including viruses to spill out into the blood stream, where they can be engulfed by macrophages Suppressor T cells – stop the immune response once the foreign antigen has been destroyed

12. The Humoral response(B-cell) is activated when antigen specific CD 4 cells communicate with the B cells in the spleen and lymph nodes. The B cells in turn produce the antibodies specific to the foreign antigen. Antibodies attach themselves to foreign antigen so that they are unable to invade body cells. These invaders cells are then destroyed without being able to multiply

13. FACTORS INFLUENCING IMMUNE RESPONSE Nutrient status Obesity Alcohol consumption Smoking Exercises Stress

14. Vaccination status Infection Hormonal status Age Gender Genetics Early age events

15. PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY (PNI) PNI an interdisciplinary approach that mainly interests on interactions between the nervous and immune system relationships.

16. RESEARCH OF PYSCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY Two meta-analyses of literature show consistent decrease in immune function of healthy people who were experiencing stress.

17. In the first meta-analysis by Herbert and Cohen in 1993 , they examined 38 studies of stressful events and immune function in healthy adults. They included studies of acute laboratory stressors (e.g. a speech task), short-term naturalistic stressors (e.g. medical examinations), and long-term naturalistic stressors (e.g. divorce, bereavement, unemployment ).

18. They found consistent stress-related increases in numbers of total white blood cells, as well as decreases in the numbers of helper T cells, suppressor T cells, and cytotoxic T cells, B cells, and Natural killer cells (NK). These effects were consistent for short-term and long-term naturalistic stressors, but not laboratory stressors

19. 2.In the second meta-analysis by Zorrilla et al. in 2001 , they replicated Herbert and Cohen's meta-analysis Using the same study selection procedures, they analyzed 75 studies of stressors and human immunity.

20. Naturalistic stressors were associated with increases in number of circulating neutrophils , decreases in number and percentages of total T cells and helper T cells, and decreases in percentages of Natural killer cell (NK) cells and cytotoxic T cell lymphocytes.

21. Why does WBC count increases during stress?

22. Why does T and B cell decrease during stress? When the body experiences stress, it releases stress hormones like cortisol and corticosterone. These hormones can have a direct immunosuppressive effect, meaning they can reduce the activity and proliferation of immune cells, including B and T lymphocytes.

23. IMPLICATIONS OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IN PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS Stress greatly influences psychological functioning and the exacerbation of symptoms in psychiatric clients. Various stressors suppress immune function, rending the individual more susceptible to illness. Among these stressors are physical and sexual abuse, sleep deprivation, and death of a family member. For instance, depression is associated with a suppression of natural killer cells.

24. Both the autonomic nervous system and the neuroendocrine system, via the pituitary gland, regulate the response of immune system. These effects are mediated primarily by the HPA axis via glucocorticoids . Lesions of the hypothalamus lead to a decrease in T and B lymphocytes.

25. The relationship between immune function and the nervous system is to protect the individual that is, if a person is injured or ill, it is important to modulate behavioral responses appropriately . Another aspect of immune functioning that can influence nervous system functioning is autoimmune disease, in which the body fails to recognize itself as "self". An example of an autoimmune disease is multiple sclerosis , which attacks myelin and impairs the nervous system by slowing down or destroying nerve pathways.

26. Finally from a different perspective on immune dysfunction and the nervous system, very few bacteria or viruses can directly attack the brain because of the protective blood brain barrier. One theory of obsessive-compulsive disorder posits that antibodies produced during repeated exposure to strep throat in genetically vulnerable individuals attack the basal ganglia, thereby producing obsessive compulsive - like symptoms.

27. A disorder that is much rarer but has captured public interest is JC disease also known as " mad cow disease " or scrapie in animals . A "slow virus" was first blamed for this disease. However mad cow disease is produced by a protein, not a virus that has eluded scientists for years. This abnormal protein has been transmitted to humans through consumption of infected meat from cows or sheep. The symptoms can remain dormant for decades and then, within months the disease can produce rapid mental deterioration and death.