Skip to main content
PMC home page
Postgraduate Medical Journal logoLink to Postgraduate Medical Journal
. 1978 Jun;54(632):395–399. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.54.632.395

An investigation of the immune response of patients suffering from anorexia nervosa.

C A Armstrong-Esther, J H Lacey, A H Crisp, T N Bryant
PMCID: PMC2425160  PMID: 683907

Abstract

Patients suffering from anorexia nervosa rarely appear to develop the common cold or influenza. This study examines the immunological response of fifteen female anorexia nervosa patients of both the vomiting and carbohydrate-abstaining type and compares them with a control population matched for age and occupation. Both anorectics and control populations received the admune influenza vaccine. Initially both groups had similar haemagglutination inhibition titres against the three different viral antigens: A/HK; A/PC; A/Eng. However, the anorectics showed over a 2-month period a higher titre of antibody especially to the Hong Kong virus: this was sigignificant. Cellular immune responses were measured using a tuberculin and a macrophage inhibition test, no significant difference between the two groups was obderved. These results which support the clinical findings are discussed.

Full text

PDF
395

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Anderson J. M. Transplantation--nature's success. Lancet. 1971 Nov 13;2(7733):1077–1082. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(71)90394-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BRAMBELL F. W., HEMMINGS W. A., MORRIS I. G. A THEORETICAL MODEL OF GAMMA-GLOBULIN CATABOLISM. Nature. 1964 Sep 26;203:1352–1354. doi: 10.1038/2031352a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BROWN R. E., KATZ M. ANTIGENIC STIMULATION IN UNDERNOURISHED CHILDREN. East Afr Med J. 1965 May;42:221–232. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. COHEN S., HANSEN J. D. Metabolism of albumin and gamma-globulin in kwashiorkor. Clin Sci. 1962 Oct;23:351–359. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Crisp A. H. Anorexia nervosa 'feeding disorder', 'nervous malnutrition' or 'weight phobia'? World Rev Nutr Diet. 1970;12:452–504. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Crisp A. H., MacKinnon P. C., Chen C., Corker C. S. Observations of gonadotrophic and ovarian hormone activity during recovery from anorexia nervosa. Postgrad Med J. 1973 Aug;49(574):584–590. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.49.574.584. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Crisp A. H., Palmer R. L., Kalucy R. S. How common is anorexia nervosa? A prevalence study. Br J Psychiatry. 1976 Jun;128:549–554. doi: 10.1192/bjp.128.6.549. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Elliott E. V., Sinclair N. R. Effect of cortisone acetate on 19S and 7S haemolysin antibody. A time course study. Immunology. 1968 Nov;15(5):643–652. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. FRANZL R. E. Immunogenic sub-cellular particles obtained from spleens of antigen-injected mice. Nature. 1962 Aug 4;195:457–458. doi: 10.1038/195457a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. GORSKI J., NICOLETTE J. A. EARLY ESTROGEN EFFECTS ON NEWLY SYNTHESIZED RNA AND PHOSPHOLIPID IN SUBCELLULAR FRACTIONS OF RAT UTERI. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1963 Dec;103:418–423. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(63)90431-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hierholzer J. C., Suggs M. T., Hall E. C. Standardized viral hemagglutination and hemagglutination-inhibition tests. II. Description and statistical evaluation. Appl Microbiol. 1969 Nov;18(5):824–833. doi: 10.1128/am.18.5.824-833.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Jurin M., Tannock I. F. Influence of vitamin A on immunological response. Immunology. 1972 Sep;23(3):283–287. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. LAURENCE P. A., SOBEL A. E. Changes in serum vitamin A level during the human menstrual cycle. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1953 Oct;13(10):1192–1200. doi: 10.1210/jcem-13-10-1192. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. NICOL T., BILBEY D. L., CHARLES L. M., CORDINGLEY J. L., VERNON-ROBERTS B. OESTROGEN: THE NATURAL STIMULANT OF BODY DEFENCE. J Endocrinol. 1964 Oct;30:277–291. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0300277. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. NICOL T., SNELL R. S. Effect of cortisone on the reticulo-endothelial system. Nature. 1956 Mar 3;177(4505):430–431. doi: 10.1038/177430a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Najjar S. S., Stephan M., Asfour R. Y. Serum levels of immunoglobulins in marasmic infants. Arch Dis Child. 1969 Feb;44(233):120–123. doi: 10.1136/adc.44.233.120. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Reddy S., Adcock K. J., Adeshina H., Cooke A. R., Akene J., McFAarlane H. Immunity, transferrin, and survival in kwashiorkor. Br Med J. 1970 Oct 31;4(5730):268–270. doi: 10.1136/bmj.4.5730.268. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rocklin R. E., Meyers O. L., David J. R. An in vitro assay for cellular hypersensitivity in man. J Immunol. 1970 Jan;104(1):95–102. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Song C. S., Rifkind A. B., Gillette P. N., Kappas A. Hormones and the liver. The effect of estrogens, progestins, and pregnancy on hepatic function. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1969 Nov 1;105(5):813–847. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. YATES F. E., URQUHART J. Control of plasma concentrations of adrenocortical hormones. Physiol Rev. 1962 Jul;42:359–433. doi: 10.1152/physrev.1962.42.3.359. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Postgraduate Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES