The thymus and the acute phase response

The thymus is a primary lymphoid organ with both endocrine and immune functions. There is a large body of evidence indicating the existence of a complex neuroendocrine control of the thymus physiology. This is supported by the historic observation that the thymus becomes involuted during the response to stress. The thymus is dramatically affected by the acute phase response (APR), a systemic reaction to tissue injury and/or infection accompanied by profound neuroendocrine and metabolic changes. The APR comprises alterations in behavior, body temperature, and production and release of cytokines, particularly interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6 and TNFalpha, and glucocorticoids (GCs) and is characterized by suddenly increased production of so-called acute phase proteins (APPs). The stimulation of APR activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in the suppression of specific immunity, which might serve to protect the organism from adverse immune reactions; the immunostimulatory hormones (e.g., PRL, GH, IGF-1) are suppressed, whereas the production of APPs in the liver is stimulated by IL-6, catecholamines and GCs. The most striking effect of the latter on the immune system is the induction of apoptosis in the thymus. In concert with GCs, elevated levels of catecholamines also selectively suppress immune response mechanisms. APR may be regarded as an emergency response that represents a switch of the host defense from the adaptive immune response which is slow to develop and is commanded by the thymus and T-lymphocytes to a less specific, but more rapid and intense reaction. Here we discuss the immunoregulatory changes during the APR with a special emphasis on the role of thymus in this process.