Gene expression profiling studies of people exposed to chronic threat have identified a Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity (CTRA) in circulating immune cells. This physiological pattern is characterized by upregulated expression of genes involved in inflammation and downregulated expression of genes involved in Type I interferon responses. The CTRA is mediated by beta-adrenergic signaling pathways that transduce sympathetic nervous system activity into changes in transcription factor activity and hematopoietic output of myeloid lineage immune cells (monocytes, neutrophils, and dendritic cells). Recent research has begun to identify the CNS processes that regulate peripheral CTRA activity, define its implications for disease, and explore the role of positive psychosocial factors in buffering such effects. The CTRA provides a genomic framework for understanding PNI relationships and connecting macro-level psychosocial processes to the micro-level biology of health and disease.

对遭受慢性威胁的人的基因表达谱研究已经确定了循环免疫细胞中逆境的保守转录反应（CTRA）。该生理模式的特征在于参与炎症的基因的表达上调和参与I型干扰素应答的基因的表达下调。CTRA由β-肾上腺素信号传导途径介导，该途径将交感神经系统活性转化为髓系谱系免疫细胞（单核细胞，中性粒细胞和树突状细胞）的转录因子活性和造血输出的变化。最近的研究已开始确定可调节外周CTRA活动，定义其对疾病的影响以及探索积极的社会心理因素在缓冲此类影响中的中枢神经系统过程。