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The role of psychoneuroendocrine factors on spaceflight-induced immunological alterationsThis paper summarizes previous in-flight infections and novel conditions of spaceflight that may suppress immune function. Granulocytosis, monocytosis, and lymphopenia are routinely observed following short duration orbital flights. Subtle changes within the monocyte and T cell populations can also be noted by flow cytometric analysis. The similarity between the immunological changes observed after spaceflight and other diverse environmental stressors suggest that most of these alterations may be neuroendocrine-mediated. Available data support the hypothesis that spaceflight and other environmental stressors modulate normal immune regulation via stress hormones, other than exclusively glucocorticoids. It will be essential to simultaneously collect in-flight endocrine, immunologic, and infectious illness data to determine the clinical significance of these results. Additional research that delineates the neuroendocrine mechanisms of stress-induced changes in normal immune regulation will allow clinicians in the future to initiate prophylactic immunomodulator therapy to restore immune competence altered by the stress of long-duration spaceflight and therefore reduce morbidity from infectious illness, autoimmune disease, or malignancy.
Document ID
20050000427
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Meehan, R.
(University of Colorado Health Sciences Center Denver 80262)
Whitson, P.
Sams, C.
Date Acquired
August 22, 2013
Publication Date
September 1, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of leukocyte biology
Volume: 54
Issue: 3
ISSN: 0741-5400
Subject Category
Aerospace Medicine
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Salyut Project
NASA Discipline Number 40-20
Mir Project
NASA Center JSC
Flight Experiment
STS Shuttle Project
NASA Discipline Regulatory Physiology
Skylab Project
Apollo Project
NASA Discipline Number 18-10
Non-NASA Center
NASA Discipline Cell Biology
NASA Program Space Biology
NASA Program Space Physiology and Countermeasures

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