Influence of the Menstrual Cycle on the Titer of Circulating Allergins

Mittelwahn

“…Recent advances in this ,field have shown that the allergic constitution is not alone to be sought in a peripheral inadequacy of the antigen-antibody mechanisms, but also in a relative weakness of adrenal cortical action, adrenal hormones being of great efficacy in suppressing allergic phenomena (Ludy and Appleton, 1939;Rose, 1950; Randolph and Rollins, 1950) and more especially in reducing the sensitivity of the tissues to histamine (Gottesman and Perla, 1931; Dragstedt, Mills and Mead, 1937; Wolfram and Zwemer, 1935). Moreover the release of antibodies seems to be under adrenal control (Feinstein, 1947 ;Billingham, Krohn and Medawar, 1951) and there is evidence from numerous sources that antibodv titres show a characteristic variation d u h g the menstrual cycle (Jungeblut and Bailly, 1938; Ross and Peizer, 1936;Hansen-Pruss and Raymond, 1943).…”