Enhancing Action of Small Doses of Cortisone on Macrophage Phagocytosis of Staphylococci in Rabbits

Soon after the clinical usefulness of cortisone and ACTH therapy became evident, observations appeared drawing attention to the fact that severe infections may occur in patients treated with these hormones (Finland et al., 1950, 1951, Mach, 1951). The proinfectious action of cortisone and ACTH was rapidly confirmed by animal experiments, in which even »spontaneous« infections were sometimes noted (Antopol et al., 1952). The reason why these hormonal substances render infectious processes so malignant was explained, partly at least, by the inhibition of inflammation (Ragan et al., 1949), of antibody production (Germuth & Ottinger, 1950, Crabbé, 1954) and of phagocytosis (Rebuck & Mellinger, 1953, Crabbé, 1955 a and b).