Tag: hair cortisol

Lower hair cortisol concentration in adolescent and young adult patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Q-Fever Fatigue Syndrome compared to controls

Abstract:

Background: In patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), momentary cortisol concentrations in blood, urine, and saliva are lower compared to healthy controls. Long-term cortisol concentration can be assessed through hair, but it is unclear whether these concentrations are also lower. Additionally, it is unknown if lower cortisol extends to other patients suffering from persistent fatigue and how hair cortisol concentration (HCC) relates to fatigue levels. Therefore, this study examines HCC in fatigued patients with ME/CFS, Q fever Fatigue Syndrome (QFS), Post-COVID-19 condition (PCC), and Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA).

Methods: Adolescent and young adult patients with ME/CFS (n=12), QFS (n=20), PCC (n=8), JIA (n=19), and controls (n=57) were included. Patients participated in a randomized cross-over trial (RCT) targeting fatigue through lifestyle and dietary self-management strategies. HCC was measured pre-post RCT in patients and once in controls, quantified using a LC-MS/MS-based method. Fatigue severity was measured with the Checklist Individual Strength-8. HCC was compared between groups with ANOVAs. Relations between HCC, fatigue severity, and other variables were investigated using linear regression analyses.

Results: The ME/CFS (p=.009) and QFS (p=.047) groups had lower HCC compared to controls. Overall, HCC was negatively associated with the presence of symptoms related to chronic fatigue syndromes (e.g., sleeping issues, often feeling tired, trouble thinking clearly; β=-0.018, p=.035), except in the QFS group (β=.063, p<.001). Baseline HCC did not predict fatigue improvement during the RCT (p=.449), and HCC increased during the trial (Mdif=.076, p=.021) regardless of clinically relevant fatigue improvement (p=.658).

Conclusion: Lower cortisol concentration can also be observed in the long-term. Lower HCC is not limited to ME/CFS, as it was also observed in QFS. The role of cortisol may differ between these diagnoses and appears to be unrelated to fatigue levels.

Source: Vroegindeweij A, Eijkelkamp N, van den Berg SAA, van de Putte EM, Wulffraat NM, Swart JF, Nijhof SL. Lower hair cortisol concentration in adolescent and young adult patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Q-Fever Fatigue Syndrome compared to controls. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2024 Jun 28;168:107117. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107117. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38986244. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38986244/

Hair and salivary cortisol in a cohort of women with chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

Hypocortisolism has been found in CFS patients in blood, urine, and saliva. It is unclear if hypocortisolism can also be demonstrated using long-term cortisol measurements, such as cortisol in hair. In addition, the interaction between the HPA axis and the immune system, both expected to play an important role in CFS, is unclear. The objective of the current study was to compare hair and salivary cortisol concentrations in a cohort of female CFS patients to those in healthy controls, and to test the effect of an interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (anakinra) on the HPA axis.

Salivary cortisol concentrations of 107 CFS patients were compared to 59 healthy controls, with CFS patients showing a decreased cortisol awakening response (4.2 nmol/L ± 5.4 vs 6.1 nmol/L ± 6.3, p = 0.036). Total cortisol output during the day did not differ significantly in saliva, but there was a trend to lower hair cortisol in a subset of 46 patients compared to 46 controls (3.8 pg/mg ± 2.1 vs 4.3 pg/mg ± 1.8, p = 0.062). After four weeks of treatment with either daily anakinra (100 mg/day) or placebo, there was a slight decrease of hair cortisol concentrations in the anakinra group compared to an increase in the placebo group (p = 0.022). This study confirms the altered dynamics of the HPA axis in a group of CFS patients, and for the first time shows that this might also be present for long-term cortisol measures.

Source: Roerink ME, Roerink SHPP, Skoluda N, van der Schaaf ME, Hermus ARMM, van der Meer JWM, Knoop H, Nater UM. Hair and salivary cortisol in a cohort of women with chronic fatigue syndrome. Horm Behav. 2018 May 25. pii: S0018-506X(17)30569-X. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.05.016. [Epub ahead of print] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29807037