Re: SSRIs and the immune system

[Guest guest]

I would love Dr. G to comment on this study....

Antidepressants May Also Affect Immune System

>

> Commonly Used Antidepressants May Also Affect Human Immune System

> Drugs that treat depression by manipulating the neurotransmitter serotonin

> in the brain may also affect the user's immune system in ways that are not

> yet understood, say scientists from town University Medical Center

> and a Canadian research institute.

>

> That's because the investigators found, for the first time, that serotonin

> is passed between key cells in the immune system, and that the chemical is

> specifically used to activate an immune response. They do not know yet,

> however, whether these SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)

> drugs " including the brands Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and others " could have

> either a beneficial or a damaging effect on human immunity.

>

> " The wider health implication is that commonly used SSRI antidepressants,

> which target the uptake of serotonin into neurons, may also impact the

> uptake in immune cells, " said Gerard Ahern, Ph.D., assistant professor of

> Pharmacology at town and lead researcher on the study.

>

> He said that while it may be possible that SSRI drugs may restore a

> healthy immune function in people who are depressed and prone to

> infections, it is possible that they might also bolster immunity to the

> point that they trigger autoimmune disease. " At this point we just don't

> know how these drugs might affect immunity, so we really need to clarify

> the normal role of serotonin in immune cell functioning, " Ahern said.

>

> The surprising finding that serotonin is rapidly passed between immune

> cells in a manner similar to its transmission between brain neurons was

> revealed in mid-October, when the research team published the findings in

> the journal Blood. In December, the discovery was highlighted for the

> general scientific audience by the journal Nature Reviews Immunology, and

> now the research team is working to produce an animal model that may help

> describe the precise nature of this interaction.

>

> " The novelty is that we reveal a potential communication, involving the

> transmitter serotonin, between immune cells that is normally only found

> between neurons, " Ahern said.

>

> In addition to Ahern, Peta Connell, Ph.D., from the Robarts Research

> Institute in Canada, was also a co-lead researcher on the study.

> Scientists from the Robarts Research Institute also contributed to the

> work.

>

> In the brain, serotonin transmission between neurons is associated with

> feelings of pleasure, mood, and appetite, and the class of antidepressants

> known as SSRIs keeps serotonin active within the synaptic spaces between

> neurons, enhancing the chemical's positive effects. Unlike in the brain,

> which uses chemical messengers to communicate between nerve cells, the

> immune system is believed to " converse " through physical contact -- one

> type of immune cell touches another, setting off a response.

>

> Specifically, " antigen presenting cells " display their antigens (bits of a

> foreign invader) to T-cells, and a resulting physical coupling between the

> antigens and the T-cells will prompt the T-cells to divide and expand in

> population, triggering an immune response designed to destroy the invader.

> This process may take hours.

>

> What the town researchers found, however, is that dendritic cells --

> the most powerful of the antigen-presenting cells and the ones that can

> find invaders that have never infected the body and " educate " the immune

> system to fight them -- also use serotonin to quickly excite a T-cell

> response. They discovered that these dendritic cells can rapidly secrete

> serotonin, which activates serotonin receptors on certain types of

> T-cells.

>

> " In addition to the physical contact, it surprised us to find that these

> immune cells also have machinery to take up serotonin and to secrete it in

> an excitatory manner, " Ahern said. " The point behind this transmission is

> not entirely clear, but it appears to be an additional way of stimulating

> a T cell response. "

>

> Drugs that block serotonin reuptake " likely change some of the parameters

> of T-cell activation, but we don't know yet if it enhances or inhibits the

> total immune response, " Ahern said. " But it is something that should be

> explored because we really have no idea what SSRIs are doing to people's

> immune systems. "

>

>

>

>

>

> Responsibility for the content of this message lies strictly with

> the original author(s), and is not necessarily endorsed by or the

> opinion of the Research Institute and/or the Parent Coalition.

>

>

[Guest guest]

I think this is not news to Dr. G. I have heard it mentioned before that

one of the reasons he prescribes SSRIs is because not only do they help in

serotonin productions but they protect the brain as well. I think this is

simply a validation of what he already practices.

Antidepressants May Also Affect Immune System

> >

> > Commonly Used Antidepressants May Also Affect Human Immune System

> > Drugs that treat depression by manipulating the neurotransmitter

serotonin

> > in the brain may also affect the user's immune system in ways that are

not

> > yet understood, say scientists from town University Medical Center

> > and a Canadian research institute.

> >

> > That's because the investigators found, for the first time, that

serotonin

> > is passed between key cells in the immune system, and that the chemical

is

> > specifically used to activate an immune response. They do not know yet,

> > however, whether these SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)

> > drugs " including the brands Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and others " could have

> > either a beneficial or a damaging effect on human immunity.

> >

> > " The wider health implication is that commonly used SSRI

antidepressants,

> > which target the uptake of serotonin into neurons, may also impact the

> > uptake in immune cells, " said Gerard Ahern, Ph.D., assistant professor

of

> > Pharmacology at town and lead researcher on the study.

> >

> > He said that while it may be possible that SSRI drugs may restore a

> > healthy immune function in people who are depressed and prone to

> > infections, it is possible that they might also bolster immunity to the

> > point that they trigger autoimmune disease. " At this point we just don't

> > know how these drugs might affect immunity, so we really need to clarify

> > the normal role of serotonin in immune cell functioning, " Ahern said.

> >

> > The surprising finding that serotonin is rapidly passed between immune

> > cells in a manner similar to its transmission between brain neurons was

> > revealed in mid-October, when the research team published the findings

in

> > the journal Blood. In December, the discovery was highlighted for the

> > general scientific audience by the journal Nature Reviews Immunology,

and

> > now the research team is working to produce an animal model that may

help

> > describe the precise nature of this interaction.

> >

> > " The novelty is that we reveal a potential communication, involving the

> > transmitter serotonin, between immune cells that is normally only found

> > between neurons, " Ahern said.

> >

> > In addition to Ahern, Peta Connell, Ph.D., from the Robarts Research

> > Institute in Canada, was also a co-lead researcher on the study.

> > Scientists from the Robarts Research Institute also contributed to the

> > work.

> >

> > In the brain, serotonin transmission between neurons is associated with

> > feelings of pleasure, mood, and appetite, and the class of

antidepressants

> > known as SSRIs keeps serotonin active within the synaptic spaces between

> > neurons, enhancing the chemical's positive effects. Unlike in the brain,

> > which uses chemical messengers to communicate between nerve cells, the

> > immune system is believed to " converse " through physical contact -- one

> > type of immune cell touches another, setting off a response.

> >

> > Specifically, " antigen presenting cells " display their antigens (bits of

a

> > foreign invader) to T-cells, and a resulting physical coupling between

the

> > antigens and the T-cells will prompt the T-cells to divide and expand in

> > population, triggering an immune response designed to destroy the

invader.

> > This process may take hours.

> >

> > What the town researchers found, however, is that dendritic

cells --

> > the most powerful of the antigen-presenting cells and the ones that can

> > find invaders that have never infected the body and " educate " the immune

> > system to fight them -- also use serotonin to quickly excite a T-cell

> > response. They discovered that these dendritic cells can rapidly secrete

> > serotonin, which activates serotonin receptors on certain types of

> > T-cells.

> >

> > " In addition to the physical contact, it surprised us to find that these

> > immune cells also have machinery to take up serotonin and to secrete it

in

> > an excitatory manner, " Ahern said. " The point behind this transmission

is

> > not entirely clear, but it appears to be an additional way of

stimulating

> > a T cell response. "

> >

> > Drugs that block serotonin reuptake " likely change some of the

parameters

> > of T-cell activation, but we don't know yet if it enhances or inhibits

the

> > total immune response, " Ahern said. " But it is something that should be

> > explored because we really have no idea what SSRIs are doing to people's

> > immune systems. "

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > Responsibility for the content of this message lies strictly with

> > the original author(s), and is not necessarily endorsed by or the

> > opinion of the Research Institute and/or the Parent Coalition.

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

On the other hand, the part about " bolstering the immune system " too

much bringing on the possibility of autoimmune reaction is

concerning. We have seen my son's ANA increase, not decrease. Am I

reading this right? Is there a possible correlation?

>

> I think this is not news to Dr. G. I have heard it mentioned

before that

> one of the reasons he prescribes SSRIs is because not only do they

help in

> serotonin productions but they protect the brain as well. I think

this is

> simply a validation of what he already practices.

>

> Antidepressants May Also Affect Immune System

> > >

> > > Commonly Used Antidepressants May Also Affect Human Immune

System

> > > Drugs that treat depression by manipulating the

neurotransmitter

> serotonin

> > > in the brain may also affect the user's immune system in ways

that are

> not

> > > yet understood, say scientists from town University

Medical Center

> > > and a Canadian research institute.

> > >

> > > That's because the investigators found, for the first time,

that

> serotonin

> > > is passed between key cells in the immune system, and that the

chemical

> is

> > > specifically used to activate an immune response. They do not

know yet,

> > > however, whether these SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake

inhibitors)

> > > drugs " including the brands Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and others "

could have

> > > either a beneficial or a damaging effect on human immunity.

> > >

> > > " The wider health implication is that commonly used SSRI

> antidepressants,

> > > which target the uptake of serotonin into neurons, may also

impact the

> > > uptake in immune cells, " said Gerard Ahern, Ph.D., assistant

professor

> of

> > > Pharmacology at town and lead researcher on the study.

> > >

> > > He said that while it may be possible that SSRI drugs may

restore a

> > > healthy immune function in people who are depressed and prone

to

> > > infections, it is possible that they might also bolster

immunity to the

> > > point that they trigger autoimmune disease. " At this point we

just don't

> > > know how these drugs might affect immunity, so we really need

to clarify

> > > the normal role of serotonin in immune cell functioning, "

Ahern said.

> > >

> > > The surprising finding that serotonin is rapidly passed

between immune

> > > cells in a manner similar to its transmission between brain

neurons was

> > > revealed in mid-October, when the research team published the

findings

> in

> > > the journal Blood. In December, the discovery was highlighted

for the

> > > general scientific audience by the journal Nature Reviews

Immunology,

> and

> > > now the research team is working to produce an animal model

that may

> help

> > > describe the precise nature of this interaction.

> > >

> > > " The novelty is that we reveal a potential communication,

involving the

> > > transmitter serotonin, between immune cells that is normally

only found

> > > between neurons, " Ahern said.

> > >

> > > In addition to Ahern, Peta Connell, Ph.D., from the Robarts

Research

> > > Institute in Canada, was also a co-lead researcher on the

study.

> > > Scientists from the Robarts Research Institute also

contributed to the

> > > work.

> > >

> > > In the brain, serotonin transmission between neurons is

associated with

> > > feelings of pleasure, mood, and appetite, and the class of

> antidepressants

> > > known as SSRIs keeps serotonin active within the synaptic

spaces between

> > > neurons, enhancing the chemical's positive effects. Unlike in

the brain,

> > > which uses chemical messengers to communicate between nerve

cells, the

> > > immune system is believed to " converse " through physical

contact -- one

> > > type of immune cell touches another, setting off a response.

> > >

> > > Specifically, " antigen presenting cells " display their

antigens (bits of

> a

> > > foreign invader) to T-cells, and a resulting physical coupling

between

> the

> > > antigens and the T-cells will prompt the T-cells to divide and

expand in

> > > population, triggering an immune response designed to destroy

the

> invader.

> > > This process may take hours.

> > >

> > > What the town researchers found, however, is that

dendritic

> cells --

> > > the most powerful of the antigen-presenting cells and the ones

that can

> > > find invaders that have never infected the body and " educate "

the immune

> > > system to fight them -- also use serotonin to quickly excite a

T-cell

> > > response. They discovered that these dendritic cells can

rapidly secrete

> > > serotonin, which activates serotonin receptors on certain

types of

> > > T-cells.

> > >

> > > " In addition to the physical contact, it surprised us to find

that these

> > > immune cells also have machinery to take up serotonin and to

secrete it

> in

> > > an excitatory manner, " Ahern said. " The point behind this

transmission

> is

> > > not entirely clear, but it appears to be an additional way of

> stimulating

> > > a T cell response. "

> > >

> > > Drugs that block serotonin reuptake " likely change some of the

> parameters

> > > of T-cell activation, but we don't know yet if it enhances or

inhibits

> the

> > > total immune response, " Ahern said. " But it is something that

should be

> > > explored because we really have no idea what SSRIs are doing

to people's

> > > immune systems. "

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > Responsibility for the content of this message lies strictly

with

> > > the original author(s), and is not necessarily endorsed by or

the

> > > opinion of the Research Institute and/or the Parent

Coalition.

> > >

> > >