A History of Psycho-Neuro-Endocrine Immune Interactions in Rheumatic Diseases

Area of Science:

• Psycho-neuro-endocrine immunology
• Rheumatic diseases research
• Medical history

Background:

• Modern publishing trends often overlook historical scientific contributions.
• This review counters the tendency to focus solely on recent publications.
• The journal Neuroimmunomodulation dedicates its 30th anniversary issue to the history of this field.

Observation:

• Keywords were identified from the authors' established list and extensive database searches (PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Scopus, ORCID).
• The snowballing technique was employed to identify related historical literature.
• Literature was organized chronologically based on the emergence of discoveries.

Findings:

• The historical review covers the sensory and sympathetic nervous systems, the vagus nerve, and steroid hormones (glucocorticoids, androgens, progesterone, estrogens, vitamin D).
• It also addresses afferent pathways related to fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, and depression, including pathophysiology.
• The review concludes with evolutionary medicine and energy regulation as an overarching theory.

Implications:

• This historical overview provides a foundational understanding of psycho-neuro-endocrine immunology in rheumatic diseases.
• It serves as a valuable resource for researchers by contextualizing current knowledge within its historical development.
• The review acknowledges its selective nature, offering a specific viewpoint on the field's evolution.