[Stress, depression, immunity: current trends in research in the field of psychoimmunology]

For more than two decades, a number of experimental findings are raising an increasing interest and evidence of S.N.C. regulatory function in immune response modulation. By this paper, we provide a large review of major recent studies aimed to investigate immune response, depression and stress conditions relationships. Assessment methods and study design issues are also discussed by special reference to the major psychiatric and psychosomatic interest of the demonstrated psychoneuroendocrine pathways of T-Lymphocytes response modulation.