▁which ▁bind s ▁to ▁the ▁re ceptor ▁for ▁mel an ocy te - st im ulating ▁h orm one . ▁It ▁then ▁causes ▁mel an ocy tes ▁to ▁produce ▁more ▁p ig ment , ▁thus ▁dark ening ▁the ▁skin ▁tone . ▁ ▁The ▁standard ▁treatment ▁for ▁Add ison ’ s ▁disease ▁is ▁h orm one ▁replacement ▁ther apy ▁for ▁the ▁min eral oc ort ico ids ▁and ▁gl uc oc ort ico ids ▁that ▁are ▁no ▁longer ▁able ▁to ▁be ▁synth es ized .[ 1 2 ] ▁Form er ▁U . S . ▁President ▁John ▁F . ▁Kennedy ▁is ▁a ▁well - known ▁individual ▁who ▁suffered ▁from ▁Add ison ’ s ▁disease ▁throughout ▁his ▁presiden cy . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁avail ability ▁of ▁h orm one ▁replacement ▁ther apy , ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁staff ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁cover ▁up ▁his ▁condition . ▁ ▁Str ess ▁and ▁imm unity ▁Rec ent ▁studies ▁have ▁discovered ▁a ▁path way ▁that ▁links ▁stress ▁to ▁the ▁on set ▁of ▁disease ▁through ▁the ▁activation ▁of ▁certain ▁gen es . ▁The ▁experience ▁of ▁psych ological ▁stress ▁activ ates ▁trans cription ▁factors ▁that ▁activ ate ▁gen es . ▁In ▁a ▁study ▁by ▁Cole ▁et ▁al ., ▁it ▁was ▁concluded ▁that ▁G AB A - 1 ▁trans cription ▁factor ▁activ ates ▁the ▁inter le uk in - 6 - g ene . ▁This ▁gene ▁codes ▁for ▁a ▁protein ▁that ▁activ ates ▁the ▁infl am mat ory ▁response ▁which ▁direct s ▁an ▁imm une ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁infl amm ation