AGING, IMMUNITY AND NEUROENDOCRINE HORMONES

Recent evidence indicates that the neuroendocrine and immune systems a re intimately integrated into one system that provides a complex homeo static network. Disruption of one system by extrinsic factors such as stress or antigenic exposure usually has consequences on the other. Wi th advancing age, a progressive disruption can be observed in both sys tems which may have profound implications with respect to age-associat ed pathologies, including autoimmunity. In this review evidence is sum marized which supports the hypothesis that neuroendocrine factors infl uence the age-associated decline of the immune system. (C) 1997 Elsevi er Science Ltd.