ReviewEndocrine2005
A review of the multiple actions of melatonin on the immune system.
Review in Endocrine, 2005. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 191 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
191 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 660 citations in OpenAlex.
- The protective effects of melatonin against electromagnetic waves of cell phones in animal models: A systematic review.Animal models and experimental medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Dexamethasone and Nutraceutical Therapy Can Reduce the Myalgia Due to COVID-19 - a Systemic Review of the Active Substances that Can Reduce the Expression of Interlukin-6.Medical archives (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina) · 2022Pooled it
- Melatonin and health: an umbrella review of health outcomes and biological mechanisms of action.BMC medicine · 2018Pooled it
- Evaluation of melatonin gel as local drug delivery system for the treatment of periodontitis: a split-mouth randomized controlled trial.BMC oral health · 2025Trial
- Methylphenidate ameliorates depressive comorbidity in ADHD children without any modification on differences in serum melatonin concentration between ADHD subtypes.International journal of molecular sciences · 2014Trial
- Does melatonin homeostasis play a role in continuous epigastric pain syndrome?International journal of molecular sciences · 2013Trial
- Influence of Intravenous Norepinephrine Administration on Melatonin Plasma Concentration in Awake and Anaesthetised Healthy Adult Volunteers.Journal of pineal research · 2026Article
- μPADs for a Safer Night's Sleep: An Alternative for Quality Control of Melatonin Pharmaceutical Formulations.ACS omega · 2026Article
- Cell Signaling by Tryptophan Catabolism.Biochemistry · 2026Review
- Melatonin and sleep: Exploring its role in regulating the circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2026Review
- Dual zeitgeber axes in psoriasis: a chronobiological framework for immune jet lag.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Article
- The Pharmacokinetics, Dosage, Preparation Forms, and Efficacy of Orally Administered Melatonin for Non-Organic Sleep Disorders in Autism Spectrum Disorder During Childhood and Adolescence: A Systematic Review.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Association ofInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Exploring melatonin's multifaceted role in female reproductive health: From follicular development to lactation and its therapeutic potential in obstetric syndromes.Journal of advanced research · 2025Review
- Decades of Night-Shift Work Induce Diurnal Disruption and Corneal Adaptations: Evidence from Pentacam Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Melatonin affects trophoblast epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and oxidative damage resistance by modulating GDF15 expression to promote embryo implantation.Communications biology · 2025Article
- Short- and long-wavelength lights disrupt endocrine signalling but not immune function in a nocturnal marsupial.Conservation physiology · 2025Article
- Melatonin Treatment at Dry-off Reduces Postpartum Shedding of Coccidia in Primiparous Dairy Cows and Their Calves.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2024Article
- Programmed cell death and melatonin: A comprehensive review.Functional & integrative genomics · 2024Review
131 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
This review summarizes the numerous observations published in recent years which have shown that one of the most significant of melatonin's pleiotropic effects is the regulation of the immune system. The overview summarizes the immune effects of pinealectomy and the association between rhythmic melatonin production and adjustments in the immune system as markers of melatonin's immunomodulatory actions. The effects of both in vivo and in vitromelatonin administration on non-specific, humoral, and cellular immune responses as well as on cellular proliferation and immune mediator production are presented. One of the main features that distinguishes melatonin from the classical hormones is its synthesis by a number of non-endocrine extrapineal organs, including the immune system. Herein, we summarize the presence of immune system-synthesized melatonin, its direct immunomodulatory effects on cytokine production, and its masking effects on exogenous melatonin action. The mechanisms of action of melatonin in the immune system are also discussed, focusing attention on the presence of membrane and nuclear receptors and the characterization of several physiological roles mediated by some receptor analogs in immune cells. The review focuses on melatonin's actions in several immune pathologies including infection, inflammation, and autoimmunity together with the relation between melatonin, immunity, and cancer.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.