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Infections related to the menstrual cycle. A study of five otherwise healthy women with recurrent abscesses and a reviw of the literature

Infektionen mit Bezug zum Menstruationszyklus. Untersuchung an fünf sonst gesunden Frauen mit rezidivierenden Abszessen und Literaturübersicht

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Summary

The purpose of the study was to investigate thein vitro bactericidal function of blood polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) in various phases of the menstrual cycle from otherwise healthy women with recurrent cutaneous abscesses related to the premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle compared with the bactericidal activity of PMN from healthy women with no inconveniences related to the menstrual cycle. The bactericidal activity againstStaphylococcus aureus 502A was investigated and when possible against the patients' own strain. No variation in bactericidal activity was observed during the different phases of the menstrual cycle. PMN from five women with recurrent abscesses related to the premenstrual phase tended to kill fewerS. aureus 502A than PMN from three women in the control group. The literature of immunological defence mechanisms and the occurrence of infections related to the menstrual cycle is reviewed.

Zusammenfassung

Bei fünf Frauen mit rezidivierenden Abszessen der Haut mit Bezug zum Menstruationszyklus bei sonstiger Gesundheit wurde die bakterizide Funktion der Granulozyten in verschiedenen Phasen des Menstruationszyklusin vitro untersucht. Die bakterizide Aktivität der Granulozyten wurde mit derjenigen von Frauen ohne Menstruations-assoziierte Störungen verglichen. Die bakterizide Aktivität wurde gegenüberStaphylococcus aureus 502A und nach Möglichkeit auch gegenüber einem von der jeweiligen Patientin isolierten Stamm geprüft. In den verschiedenen Phasen des Menstruationszyklus fanden sich keine Unterschiede in der bakteriziden Aktivität. Granulozyten von Frauen mit rezidivierenden Abszessen während der prämenstruellen Phase hatten tendentiell wenigerS. aureus 502A abgetötet als Granulozyten von drei Frauen der Kontrollgruppe. Die Literatur zu immunologischen Abwehrmechanismen und zu Infektionen in Assoziation zum Menstruationszyklus wird in einer Übersicht dargestellt.

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  1. Dept. of Clinical Microbiology, Frederiksberg Hospital, Nordre Fasanvej 59, DK-2000, Frederiksberg, Denmark

    Merete Weischer M., Alice Friis-Møller M. D. & Annie Bremmelgaard M. D.

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  2. Alice Friis-Møller M. D.
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Weischer, M., Friis-Møller, A. & Bremmelgaard, A. Infections related to the menstrual cycle. A study of five otherwise healthy women with recurrent abscesses and a reviw of the literature. Infection 22, 395–400 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01715496

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