TY - JOUR
T1 - HPA axis reactivity in chronic pelvic pain
T2 - Association with depression
AU - Wingenfeld, Katja
AU - Hellhammer, Dirk H.
AU - Schmidt, Iris
AU - Wagner, Dieter
AU - Meinlschmidt, Gunther
AU - Heim, Christine
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by a center grant of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft FOR 255 (to DHH; clinical subproject D to CH and DHH).
PY - 2009/12
Y1 - 2009/12
N2 - Objectives. Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a frequent gynecological complaint. The pathophysiology of CPP is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to determine whether the presence of depressive symptoms is associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction in CPP. Methods. We measured neuroendocrine responses to a standardized social stress test and to a standard adrenocorticotropin (ACTH)1-24 stimulation test in 18 patients with CPP, stratified based on the presence of high versus low self-reported depressive symptoms, compared with 24 controls. Results. Women with CPP and low depression exhibited enhanced ACTH responses to psychosocial stress compared with women with CPP and high depression, whereas there were no differences in cortisol responses. In the ACTH1-24 stimulation test, CPP patients with high depression demonstrated enhanced cortisol responses. Conclusion. These results suggest a relationship between self-reported depression and reactivity of the HPA axis in patients with CPP.
AB - Objectives. Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a frequent gynecological complaint. The pathophysiology of CPP is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to determine whether the presence of depressive symptoms is associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction in CPP. Methods. We measured neuroendocrine responses to a standardized social stress test and to a standard adrenocorticotropin (ACTH)1-24 stimulation test in 18 patients with CPP, stratified based on the presence of high versus low self-reported depressive symptoms, compared with 24 controls. Results. Women with CPP and low depression exhibited enhanced ACTH responses to psychosocial stress compared with women with CPP and high depression, whereas there were no differences in cortisol responses. In the ACTH1-24 stimulation test, CPP patients with high depression demonstrated enhanced cortisol responses. Conclusion. These results suggest a relationship between self-reported depression and reactivity of the HPA axis in patients with CPP.
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U2 - 10.3109/01674820903254732
DO - 10.3109/01674820903254732
M3 - Article
C2 - 19922402
AN - SCOPUS:73349108066
SN - 0167-482X
VL - 30
SP - 282
EP - 286
JO - Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology
JF - Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology
IS - 4
ER -
