Neural-immune interaction and stress responses

Brain receives its own external and internal information through sensory and afferent autonomic nerves, and immune system also monitors external (nonself) and internal (autoantigen and tumor) information. However, it is evident that there is a crosstalk of information between these systems. This crosstalk is recognized as the neural-immune interaction, and suggested to be involved in the regulation of responses to external and internal stress stimuli. In this review article, (1) mechanisms of immobilization-induced suppression of splenic natural killer cell activity, (2) role of nociceptive C fibers in allergic contact dermatitis, and (3) central mechanisms of immunologically induced fatigue are discussed as models of the neural-immune interaction to investigate its significance in these stress responses.