Plasma β-endorphin levels and natural killer cells in two cases of congenital indifference to pain

Abstract

We have investigated plasma β-endorphin (β-E), ACTH, and cortisol in two cases of congenital indifterence to pain (CIP), a rare syndrome characterized by unresponsiveness to painful stimuli. As the two patients had frequent skin infections, we also studied lymphocyte response to mytogens in the absence or presence of β-E. In addition, we explored a series of lymphocyte membrane antigens related to different aspects of the immune response, such as CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺, B, NK Leu 7, Leu 9, and Leu 19, anti-interleukin-2 receptor (anti-TAC). Plasma β-E levels in the two patients were significantly higher than in controls, whereas plasma ACTH and cortisol levels were normal. Lymphocyte response to the mitogen phytohemagglutinin was normal. The expression of Leu 7, Leu 9, and Leu 19, three antigens related to natural killer cells, was decreased by about 50%. The results indicate that in the two cases of CIP studied, high plasma β-E levels are associated with a reduction in the expression of natural killer cells. This suggests that the two phenomena are specifically related to each other. These data represent further evidence of the possible pathophysiological relevance of the neuroendocrine-immune feedback.