Sex steroids and personality traits in the middle luteal phase of healthy normally menstruating young professional women.
OBJECTIVE
Sex steroids affect human behavior. The aim of the present study was to determine the associations, if any, between the circulating levels of gonadal and adrenal sex steroids in the mid luteal phase (21st day of a normal menstrual cycle, MC) of young professional women and psychometric parameters as assessed by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI).


RESULTS
Our results are as follows: (a) The metabolic product of activated adrenal and gonadal androgens, 3alpha-diolG, was modestly but significantly associated with the social introversion scale (10-SI) (r=0.36, p<0.05), independently accounting for 13% of its variation across participants (R²=0.13, F(1,45)=6.58, p=0.014). (b) Total testosterone was significantly associated with the paranoia scale (6-Pa) (r=0.27, p<0.05). Multiple regression analyses indicated that 10% of the variability in paranoia scores could be independently explained by total testosterone levels (R²=0.10, F(1,57)=6.23, p=0.016). We were unable to find any association between the circulating androgens and scores on the masculinity-femininity scale (Mf). We were also unable to document any association between the weak adrenal androgens DHEA and DHEA-S and depression in contrast to several published reports. (c) Our data suggest a marginally significant association between progesterone and scores on the 7-Pt (obsessive/compulsive/psychasthenia) scale (r=0.27, p<0.05). However, only 7% of the 7-Pt variance was explained by progesterone (R²=0.071, F(1,50)=3.81, p=0.057).


CONCLUSIONS
We have found that total testosterone was associated with the paranoia score, the metabolic product of activated androgens, 3alpha-diolG, to social introversion and, finally, progesterone to obsessive-compulsive behavior.
Departments of Clinical Chemistry and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Pavlina D
PD
Avgoustinaki
Effrosyni
E
Mitsopoulou
Gregorios
G
Chlouverakis
Theoni
T
Triantafillou
Maria
M
Venihaki
Sofia
S
Koukouli
Andrew N
AN
Margioris
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D003193:Compulsive Personality Disorder / Q000097:blood; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007439:Introversion, Psychological; D008183:Luteal Phase; D008950:MMPI; D008598:Menstruation / Q000097:blood; D010259:Paranoid Disorders / Q000097:blood; D010551:Personality; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
D000728:Androgens; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol; C028895:androstane-3,17-diol glucuronide; D013739:Testosterone; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D011374:Progesterone