Because male hormones can trigger type 1 immune responses, 8-9 % of male allergy patients take a turn for the better during adolescence. Female hormones, on the other hand, stimulate type 2 immune responses, so many adult women have allergies, which can be especially serious during pregnancy. This is also why more adult women are allergic than adult men.
由於男性賀爾蒙能促進第一型的免疫反應，百分之八、九十的男性過敏患者在青春期能獲得好轉；但女性賀爾蒙卻會促進第二型的免疫反應，因而許多女性在成年後、尤其在懷孕時過敏反應反而更加嚴重，也造成成年過敏族女多於男。