title: MRI in multiple sclerosis during the menstrual cycle: relationship with sex hormone patterns.
abstract: We investigated MRI activity in MS during the menstrual cycle in relation to physiologic sex hormone fluctuations. Eight women with relapsing-remitting MS were submitted to serial brain gadolinium-enhanced MRI examinations over a 3-month period in two alternate follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. The ratio of progesterone/17-beta-estradiol during the luteal phase was significantly associated with both number (r = 0.6, p = 0.03) and volume (r = 0.7, p = 0.009) of enhancing lesions, providing support for a role of these hormones as immunomodulatory factors in MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pozzilli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Falaschi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mainero
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martocchia
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: D'Urso
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Proietti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frontoni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bastianello
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filippi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004967:Estrogens / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens