These studies are part of an emerging field of research, called psychoneuroimmunology, which seeks to understand the interactions between the nervous, endocrine and immune systems. A scanning electron micrograph of a human lymphocyte. It has long been known that glucocorticoid hormones, which are often increased during stress and depression, affect a number of physiological functions.
Glucocorticoids are also widely used clinically for the treatment of a variety of immune disorders.
However, the molecular mechanisms underlying immunoregulation by glucocorticoids generally remain unknown. The reason why glucocorticoids have an opposite effect on granzyme A gene transcription in CTL vs. NK cells is currently being investigated. Kozol, R., Kopatsis, A., Czanko, R., Fligiel, S., and Callewaert, D.M., Neutrophil Mediated Injury to Gastric Mucosal Surface Cells. Kim, H.S., Morrow, J., Callewaert, D.M. and Roberts, J. Assessment of Oxidative Strsss in vivo.