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Immunological Effects of Diethylstilbestrol in the Human

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Immunotoxicology

Part of the book series: Developments in Hematology and Immunology ((DIHI,volume 16))

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Abstract

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) is a synthetic non-steriodal compound that possesses estrogenic activity (Fig. 1). DES has been widely used as a therpeutic estrogen in humans since it is inexpensive and effective after oral administration (1). The major clinical application of DES has been estrogen replacement therapy (hormonal dysgenesis, postmenopausal symptoms), treatment of prostatic cancer, postcoital contraception and suppression of lactation. From the late 1940’s DES became accepted as useful for the prevention of threatened abortion. This treatment was in 1971 shown to lead to cervical and vaginal carcinomas in female offspring of treated mothers and is the first example of transplacental carcinogenesis of humans (2,3). Exposure to DES may also be a question of environmental concern. Recently, several reports have appeared indicating that the use of anabolic agents, mainly DES, for growth promotion in poultry and meat production, was responsible for episodes of epidemic breast enlargement in Puerto Rico and Italy (4,5).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lunds Universitet Institute of Anatomy, Lund, Sweden

    T. Kalland

  2. Institute of Toxicology, E. Merck, Darmstadt, Germany

    R. Hofman

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  1. T. Kalland
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Commission of the European Communities, Luxembourg

    A. Berlin (Health and Safety Directorate) (Health and Safety Directorate)

  2. Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA

    J. Dean

  3. International Programme on Chemical Safety, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland

    M. H. Draper  & E. M. B. Smith  & 

  4. Institute of Pharmacological Research “Mario Negri”, Milan, Italy

    F. Spreafico

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© 1987 ECSC, EEC, EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg and WHO, Geneva

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Kalland, T., Hofman, R. (1987). Immunological Effects of Diethylstilbestrol in the Human. In: Berlin, A., Dean, J., Draper, M.H., Smith, E.M.B., Spreafico, F. (eds) Immunotoxicology. Developments in Hematology and Immunology, vol 16. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4307-0_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4307-0_26

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-8414-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-4307-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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