Clinical Aspects of Immune Neuroendocrine Mechanisms in Rheumatic Diseases

Abstract

This issue of the Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America addresses clinical aspects of neuroendocrine mechanisms in rheumatic diseases. The central theme is the recognition that systemic rheumatic diseases are characterized by inflammatory processes that result from complex interactions of the nervous system, endocrine system, vascular system, and, of course, the immune system. On a background of genetic expression, reciprocal regulatory networks exist between these different systems that result in various biologic reactions and clinical symptoms. The development of this niche in our understanding of the pathogenesis of rheumatic diseases since the November 2000 issue of the Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America [1] has been impressive. Successful international congresses held at Genoa, published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Science and in international review journals [2–5] and have been presented at well-attended sessions of the Neuroendocrine Immunology Study Group at the American College of Rheumatology meetings over the last 5 years. In this issue, leading authors contribute well-balanced reviews of these systems, their interactions, and the sequels for clinical diseases, with a focus on rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Raynaud’s syndrome, and