Androgen Therapy in Hereditary Angioneurotic Edema

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Abstract
Under normal conditions, an alpha globulin designated as C1̄ inhibitor (C1̄-INH) inhibits the activated first component of complement (C1̄). In hereditary angioneurotic edema, which is transmitted as classic Mendelian autosomal dominant, the serum of affected persons either contains a nonfunctional alpha globulin or lacks the inhibitor altogether. This deficiency was identified independently by Landerman et al.,1 who found the plasma of a patient unable to inhibit kallikrein generation of bradykinin, and by Donaldson and Evans,2 who reported on the inability of another patient's plasma to inhibit C1̄. Both observations were shown to be correct when Kagan and Becker3 demonstrated that . . .