Experimental Etiocholanolone Fever

Abstract

Thirty-five patients were injected with etiocholanolone intramuscularly and 27 responded with fever greater than 1.5 F and leukocytosis. The clearance and conjugation of etiocholanolone were studied after intramuscular and intravenous injection. The peak level of free or conjugated steroid did not correlate with the febrile spike produced. The local reaction at the site of the injection and the leukocytosis were directly related to the magnitude and duration of fever. Three of 4 leukopenic patients failed to get either a local reaction or generalized fever. However, the failure of the leukopenic patients to react with fever may have been related to their underlying disease process. The data suggest that a local inflammatory reaction may be significant etiologically in the production of etiocholanolone fever.