title: Relationship between symptom severity and steroid variation in women with premenstrual syndrome: study on serum pregnenolone, pregnenolone sulfate, 5 alpha-pregnane-3,20-dione and 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one.
abstract: The relationship between symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and serum levels of pregnenolone (Pe), pregnenolone sulfate (PS), 5 alpha-pregnane-3,20-dione (5 alpha-DHP), 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha- pregnan-20-one (5 alpha-THP), LH, 17 beta-estradiol (E2), and progesterone (P) was investigated during 2 consecutive menstrual cycles in 12 patients using daily measurements. Corresponding hormones were also measured during 1 cycle in 8 control women. Pe, PS, 5 alpha-DHP, and 5 alpha-THP showed a significant cyclicity within menstrual cycles and a high rate of correlation with P variation in both PMS patients and controls. No significant difference was found between PMS patients and controls in average serum concentrations of Pe, PS, 5 alpha-DHP, 5 alpha-THP, and LH during the luteal phase, whereas a significantly higher level of E2 and a lower level of P were observed in PMS patients. The variation in symptom scores was compared with that in hormone levels within each woman. The symptom peak showed a delay of 3-4 days after the serum P, Pe, 5 alpha-DHP, and 5 alpha-THP peaks. However, the plasma PS peak appeared on the same day or only 1 day before the symptom peak in PMS patients. When comparing the 2 cycles studied, more negative symptoms occurred in cycles with higher luteal phase E2, Pe, and PS concentrations, whereas higher luteal phase 5 alpha-DHP and 5 alpha-THP concentrations were associated with improved symptom ratings in PMS patients. These results suggest that the mentioned steroids are related to the severity of distressing symptoms in PMS patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Physiology, University of Umea, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Seippel
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Purdy
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bãckström
mesh_terms: D043582:5-alpha-Dihydroprogesterone; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008183:Luteal Phase / Q000097:blood; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000097:blood; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D011277:Pregnanediones / Q000097:blood; D011280:Pregnanolone / Q000097:blood; D011284:Pregnenolone / Q000097:blood; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D011277:Pregnanediones; C018370:pregnenolone sulfate; D011284:Pregnenolone; D043582:5-alpha-Dihydroprogesterone; D011280:Pregnanolone