SIMULATED ADRENO-CORTICAL ACTIVITY DURING PREGNANCY IN AN ADDISONIAN PATIENT 1

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Abstract
A patient with Addison''s disease was studied during the course of pregnancy. Evidence of increased adrenal cortical-like activity was present since the 17-ketosteroids and neutral reducing lipids of the urine rose to normal values late in pregnancy and a fall in eosinophils, resulted from the admn. of either epinephrine or ACTH. During the early post-partum period the steroid excretion fell to levels characteristic of Addison''s disease, and there was no fall in eosinophils as a result of ACTH or epinephrine injn. The newborn male infant excreted but traces of steroids during his first 3 days of life. ACTH-like activity was found in a crude extract of the patient''s placenta.