In response to a stressor, physiological changes are set into motion to help an individual
cope with the stressor. However, chronic activation of these stress responses, which include
the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and the sympathetic–adrenal–medullary axis,
results in chronic production of glucocorticoid hormones and catecholamines. Glucocorticoid
receptors expressed on a variety of immune cells bind cortisol and interfere with the function
of NF-κB, which regulates the activity of cytokine-producing immune cells. Adrenergic …