The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis

Part 1: Physiology - Introduction: The HPA Axis and the Immune system: interactions in perspective Physiology of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenocortical axis Molecular mechanisms of glucocorticoid signaling Organization of the sympathetic nervous system The innate immune system Specific immune response The immune system of the brain Part 2: Effect of the HPA axis and the sympathetic system on the immune system - Glucocorticoid effects on the immune response Glucocorticoids and dendritic cells: a link between innate and adaptive immunity Toll-like receptors and glucocorticoids Effects of glucocorticoids on the developing thymus Effects of catecholamines on the immune response Enhancing versus suppressive effects of stress on immune function Part 3: Effect of the immune response on the HPA axis and the sympathetic nervous system - Processing of cytokine signals at CNS levels: relevance for immune-HPA axis interactions Inflammatory mediator action on the anterior pituitary gland Neuroendocrinology and the Immune Response. Inflammatory mediator effects on the adrenal gland Inflammatory mediators affect the autonomic nervous system Part 4: Clinical implications of neuro-endocrine-immune interactions - The neuroendocrinology and Immunology of critical illness Neuroendocrinology of inflammatory disorders The HPA axis in rheumatic autoimmune disorders Glucocorticoid resistance in inflammatory diseases Glucocorticoids and asthma: from clinics to genes