Schick Reaction and Menstrual Cycle

Abstract

The possibilities of changes in resistance to infection at the time of menstruation have been widely discussed but there are few direct observations on the subject. Only in the case of the common cold, 1 herpes febrilis 2 and hemolytic streptococcus infections 3 has it been shown, with any degree of certainty, that resistance may be lowered at this time. A number of attempts have been made to measure periodic fluctuations in the anti-infectious agencies of blood and tissues. Thus, Geller 4 has demonstrated that the bactericidal titer of blood is depressed premenstrually, and Fisher 5 reports a lowering in the disinfecting power of the skin at menstruation. In studying the virucidal properties of the blood at different times of the cycle, Jungeblut and Engle 6 found that, although the ability to neutralize poliomyelitis virus changed, there was no uniform correlation with any given phase of the cycle. Ross 7 reports the titer of natural protective substances against type II pneumococci as being higher during the first days of the menstrual cycle than during the latter part; and Dressel and Keller 8 found that serum from menstruating women was bactericidal for the anthrax bacillus while serum from women who were not menstruating exhibited no such power. It is clear from the references quoted above that the effect of the menses on resistance to different diseases is not uniform and that each disease must be studied individually.

The physiological changes in capillary function that occur at the beginning of the menses are far from being understood; but Brewer 9 has recently contributed data to suggest that capillary fragility may be greatly increased during the first 2 days of the menstrual period.