Affiliations: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Immunology, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada | Department of Physiology, Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico | Department of Pathology, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Note: [] Correspondence to: Dr. Istvan Berczi, Department of Physiology, Free University of Augascalientes, Augascalientes, Mexico. Tel.: +52 449 9107400/Ext. 363; +1 204 878 3586; E-mail: berczii@ms.umanitoba.ca
Abstract: Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) and Vasopressin (VP) are the hypothalamic immunoregulators. The CRH – adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) - glucocorticoid (GC) and catecholamine (CAT) axis, jointly with Vasopressin (VP), stimulate innate immunity (INIM). During acute illness CRH activates the HPA-GC-CAT axis and INIM will be amplified up to 1000 times in 24–48 hours. GC and CAT stimulate directly INIM and also generate suppressor/regulatory T cells (Ts/r) which inhibit adaptive immune (ADIM) function. APR is a complex metabolic, endocrine and immune response which leads to a systemic inflammatory response. This is the last attempt to save the host organism from life threatening disease/injury. In most cases healing and recovery will follow, so APR is a very effective in host defense.
