Tag: sex hormones

Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis hormones and cortisol in both menstrual phases of women with chronic fatigue syndrome and effect of depressive mood on these hormones

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a disease which defined as medically unexplained, disabling fatigue of 6 months or more duration and often accompanied by several of a long list of physical complaints. We aimed to investigate abnormalities of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis hormones and cortisol concentrations in premenopausal women with CFS and find out effects of depression rate on these hormones.

METHODS: We examined follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, progesterone and cortisol concentrations in 43 premenopausal women (mean age: 32.86 +/- 7.11) with CFS and compared matched 35 healthy controls (mean age: 31.14 +/- 6.19). Patients were divided according to menstrual cycle phases (follicular and luteal) and compared with matched phase controls. Depression rate was assessed by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and patients with high BDI scores were compared to patients with low BDI scores.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences in FSH, LH, estradiol and progesterone levels in both of menstrual phases of patients versus controls. Cortisol levels were significantly lower in patients compared to controls. There were no significant differences in all hormone levels in patients with high depression scores versus patients with low depression scores.

CONCLUSION: In spite of high depression rate, low cortisol concentration and normal HPG axis hormones of both menstrual phases are detected in premenopausal women with CFS. There is no differentiation between patients with high and low depression rate in all hormone levels. Depression condition of CFS may be different from classical depression and evaluation of HPG and HPA axis should be performed for understanding of pathophysiology of CFS and planning of treatment.

 

Source: Cevik R, Gur A, Acar S, Nas K, Sarac AJ. Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis hormones and cortisol in both menstrual phases of women with chronic fatigue syndrome and effect of depressive mood on these hormones. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2004 Dec 8;5:47. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC539265/ (Full article)

 

Follicular phase hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis function in women with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: Fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are clinically overlapping stress associated disorders. Neuroendocrine perturbations have been noted in both syndromes, and they are more common in women, suggesting abnormalities of gonadal steroid hormones. We tested the hypothesis that women with FM and CFS manifest abnormalities of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) hormonal axis.

METHODS: We examined the secretory characteristics of estradiol, progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH), including a detailed analysis of LH in premenopausal women with FM (n = 9) or CFS (n = 8) during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle compared to matched healthy controls. Blood was collected from an indwelling intravenous catheter every 10 min. over a 12 h period. LH was assayed from every sample; pulses of LH were identified by a pulse-detection program. FSH and progesterone were assayed from a pool of hourly samples for the 12 h period and estradiol from samples pooled over four 3 h time periods.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences in FSH, progesterone, or estradiol levels in patients versus controls. There were no significant differences in pulsatile secretion of LH.

CONCLUSION: There is no indication of abnormal gonadotropin secretion or gonadal steroid levels in this small, but systematic, study of HPG axis function in patients with FM and CFS.

 

Source: Korszun A, Young EA, Engleberg NC, Masterson L, Dawson EC, Spindler K, McClure LA, Brown MB, Crofford LJ. Follicular phase hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis function in women with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. J Rheumatol. 2000 Jun;27(6):1526-30. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10852283

 

Reproductive correlates of chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

A case-control study was conducted to determine whether menstrual and gynecologic abnormalities precede the onset of chronic fatigue syndrome(CFS) in women with this disorder to a greater extent than that observed among healthy controls.

We identified 150 women who met the 1988 Centers for Disease Control criteria for CFS from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Cooperative CFS Research Center. A comparison group of 149 women being seen for nongynecologic conditions were selected from the waiting area of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Internal Medicine outpatient department.

Women with and without CFS completed self-administered questionnaires on menstrual, reproductive, and medical history. Women with CFS reported increased gynecologic complications and a lower incidence of premenstrual symptomatology.

After adjustment for age, a somewhat greater number of cases compared with controls self-reported irregular cycles, periods of amenorrhea, and sporadic bleeding between menstrual periods. Factors suggestive of abnormal ovarian function–such as a history of polycystic ovarian syndrome, hirsutism, and ovarian cysts–were reported more often in CFS cases compared with controls. Frequent anovulatory cycles due to ovarian hyperandrogenism (PCOS) or hyperprolactinemia may increase risk for CFS through loss of the potential immunomodulatory effects of progesterone in the presence of continued estrogen production.

We hypothesize that frequent anovulatory cycles due to PCOS and/or hyperprolactinemia may explain the increased reporting of gynecologic complications and the lower reported premenstrual symptomatology observed in women with CFS.

 

Source: Harlow BL, Signorello LB, Hall JE, Dailey C, Komaroff AL. Reproductive correlates of chronic fatigue syndrome. Am J Med. 1998 Sep 28;105(3A):94S-99S. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9790489