It is generally known that in Type 1 allergy, adrenal steroid hormones
regulate the production of IgE antibody. This study was carried out to
determine whether patients with rhinitic allergy to Japanese cedar po
llencan modulate the interaction between the immune and endocrine syst
ems normally. The subjects were 61 patients allergic to Japanese cedar
pollen, and 14 healthy volunteers served as control. Our study sugges
ts that downregulation of the HPA axis may be caused by high specific
and non-specific IgE production in patients with allergic rhinitis. Ou
r data suggest that cortisol may play a role as an immune-suppressive
agent in specific IgE production during the pollen season, as this phe
nomenon was not observed before or after the pollen season.