Smoking effects on the hormonal balance of fertile women.
We evaluated serum pituitary hormones (prolactin, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone), gonadal hormones (estrone, estradiol, progesterone), sex steroid binding protein (SBP) and urine estrogens in 684 healthy fertile women, subdivided into smokers (n = 237) and nonsmokers (n = 447). The aim of the work was to elucidate whether smoking habits can affect hormonal balance. Smoking interference of estrogen metabolism has been postulated, but no unequivocal data have been reported. A protective role against breast cancer has even been suggested on the basis of a reduced estrogenic activity found in smokers. Our data showed a considerable interference of smoking on PRL secretion, probably related to a direct inhibiting activity of nicotine. Estrogen catabolism could also be involved, and a catabolic shift of 16 alpha-hydroxylation in favour of 2 alpha-hydroxylated catabolites, via the hepatic cytochrome P-450 system could be hypothesized.
Berta
L
L
Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Clinica, Università di Torino, Italia.
Frairia
R
R
Fortunati
N
N
Fazzari
A
A
Gaidano
G
G
D000328:Adult; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D004967:Estrogens / Q000652:urine; D004970:Estrone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000378:metabolism; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood*; D039181:Steroid 16-alpha-Hydroxylase
D004967:Estrogens; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D010907:Pituitary Hormones; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D004970:Estrone; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D011388:Prolactin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D039181:Steroid 16-alpha-Hydroxylase