Thymus-derived glucocorticoids and the regulation of antigen-specific T-cell development

Bidirectional interactions of both a stimulatory and inhibitory nature occur between the neuroendocrine and the immune systems, and these interactions play an important modulatory role during T-cell ontogeny. Specifically, glucocorticoids potently induce apoptosis in thymocytes and activated T cells, but can also rescue these cells from activation-induced cell death. The objective of this review is to discuss current data on the interactions of the immune system with steroid hormones in the thymus and to describe a model that includes glucocorticoids in the shaping of the peripheral T-cell antigen-specific repertoire and deals with their potential role in the generation of autoimmune disease.