The contribution of stress and its mediators to the ontopathogeny of infections: a focus on the interactions of cytokines and glucocorticoids

The present work is a bibliographical review of the participation of glucocorticoids, cytokines, and other bioregulators of stress in the ontogeny of the immune system and in the pathogeny of infections. In addition, the age-related dynamics of and gender differences in morbidity and mortality caused by three infectious diseases (AIDS, pulmonary tuberculosis and sepsis) were evaluated in southern Brazilian states during three chronological periods. The results obtained indicate the need to pay more attention to the subclinical role played by infectious agents in the etiopathogeny of other chronic degenerative age-related disorders.