[The transcendence of prolactin and its relation to the immune response]

Prolactin is a hormone involved in a variety of physiological processes in male and female of several vertebrates species. In mammalian included the human, it has been suggested that prolactin plays a role in immunoregulatory mechanism. There are some evidence in the sense that exists a notable bidirectional interaction between prolactin and the immune systems. This finding has stimulated the research on this area. Prolactin has stimulative effects on the lymphocytes and on the immune responses, and the cytokines production changes the prolactin concentration, so modifying its biological action. These reciprocal effects involve the presence of specific receptors. The prolactin receptors have been demonstrated on lymphocytes and other accessory cells. This review tries to summarize the interaction between immune and neuroendocrine systems and the importance of neuroimmune endocrinologic study.