Seminars in immunopathologySep 28, 2021

Daily hormone rhythms linked to immune system function

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Mar 31, 2026

Abstract

Adrenal glucocorticoid hormones play a crucial role in regulating energy metabolism, brain functions, and the immune system.

Glucocorticoids are released in a rhythmic pattern throughout the day, influencing various physiological processes.
Synthetic glucocorticoid medications do not replicate the natural rhythms of endogenous glucocorticoids.
Endogenous glucocorticoid daily rhythms prepare the immune system for environmental threats by influencing immune cell migration.
The rhythmic expression of chemoattractants and their receptors is associated with the directed movement of immune cells.
Chronotherapeutic strategies may enhance the treatment effectiveness for immunological diseases such as asthma.

Simplified

Adrenal glucocorticoid (GC) hormones are important regulators of energy metabolism, brain functions, and the immune system. Their release follows robust diurnal rhythms and GCs themselves serve as entrainment signals for circadian clocks in various tissues. In the clinics, synthetic GC analogues are widely used as immunosuppressive drugs. GC inhibitory effects on the immune system are well documented and include suppression of cytokines and increased immune cell death. However, the circadian dynamics of GC action are often neglected. Synthetic GC medications fail to mimic complex GC natural rhythms. Several recent publications have shown that endogenous GCs and their daily concentration rhythms prepare the immune system to face anticipated environmental threats. That includes migration patterns that direct specific cell population to organs and tissues best exemplified by the rhythmic expression of chemoattractants and their receptors. On the other hand, chronotherapeutic approaches may benefit the treatment of immunological diseases such as asthma. In this review, we summarise our current knowledge on the circadian regulation of GCs, their role in innate and adaptive immune functions and the implications for the clinics.

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Daily hormone rhythms linked to immune system function

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