Adrenergic receptors on T and B lymphocytes: Evidence, function, and clinical implications

A mechanism exists by which the brain communicates with cells of the immune system to regulate their activity. This mechanism involves the release of norepinephrine from sympathetic nerve terminals located within the parenchyma of lymphoid tissue, and the subsequent binding of norepinephrine to specific adrenergic receptors (ARs) expressed on the immune cells residing therein. The purpose of this chapter is to summarize the data in support of AR expression on the cell surface of immune cells involved in adaptive immunity, namely the T and B lymphocytes that recognize and respond to a specific antigen by secreting cytokine or antibody, respectively. This chapter will also give a few examples of how these findings may have functional relevance for certain clinical conditions.