The Relationship of Stress and Susceptibility to Infections in the Skin
Abstract
The skin is an organ which not only provides a cover for the body but also has an immunologic function. This project sought to determine whether stress plays a role in the susceptibility to infections. To do this we developed a method of isolating mRNA from keratinocytes grown in defined medium and from Langerhans cells (LC) maintained in serum containing medium, We have shown that keratinocytes demonstrate relatively large amounts of mRNA for interleukin-1 (IL-1) alpha; by contrast, LC express mainly mRNA forIL-1 beta and very little IL- alpha mRNA. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that both of these IL-1s do not stimulate keratinocyte growth. This is in contrast to reports in the literature. Finally, we have demonstrated that keratinocytes grown in defined medium, as well as, cells of a squamous cell carcinoma cell line express receptors for somatomedin-C/IGF-1 and for IGF-2 in vitro. Furthermore, the squamous cell carcinoma cells secrete binding proteins for these two peptides. Keywords: Skin, Neuropeptides, mRNA, Immunologic mediators; Stress psychology; Physiological psychology; Immunosuppression.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 30, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA205670
Entities
People
- Vera B. Morhenn
Organizations
- Stanford University Medical Center