Activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in multiple sclerosis: correlations with gadolinium-enhancing lesions and ventricular volume.
The known interaction between the immune system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis led us to explore the interrelation between magnetic resonance imaging findings and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in 53 multiple sclerosis patients. The cortisol release induced by the dexamethasone-corticotropin-releasing hormone test was negatively associated with the presence and number of gadolinium-enhancing lesions and positively associated with ventricular size. This finding suggests a protective effect of the hypothalamic- pituitary-adrenal drive on acute lesional inflammation in multiple sclerosis, probably by limiting immune overshoot. In contrast, the nature of the correlation between hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal hyperdrive and brain atrophy remains to be determined.
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
Erina M
EM
Schumann
Tania
T
Kümpfel
Florian
F
Then Bergh
Claudia
C
Trenkwalder
Florian
F
Holsboer
Dorothee P
DP
Auer
D000328:Adult; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001284:Atrophy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D003907:Dexamethasone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D005682:Gadolinium