Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Pregnancy is characterized by increased secretion of estrogens and cortisol. Estrogen is used to prepare the maternal environment for the fetus. Cortisol induces a state of immunosuppression to avoid loss of the fetus, which, by definition, is at least partly a foreign organism. Parturition is characterized by estrogen and cortisol withdrawal. It leads to a rebound in immunity and may be accompanied by the development of autoimmune disease. Autoimmune thyroid dis...