Changes in oral mucosal MUC1 expression and salivary hormones throughout the menstrual cycle.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate relationships among oral mucosal epithelial MUC1 expression, salivary stress markers, and female gonadal hormones throughout the menstrual cycle.


METHODS
Thirty healthy women (25.9 ± 2.1 years) with regular menstrual cycle were included. Unstimulated (UWS) and stimulated whole saliva (SWS) were collected during the menstrual cycle. The expression level of oral mucosal MUC1 was analyzed. 17β-Estradiol, progesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), cortisol, chromogranin A (CgA), and blood contamination levels were measured from UWS and SWS.


RESULTS
Significant positive correlations were observed between 17β-estradiol and DHEA in UWS, cortisol and CgA in UWS, MUC1 expression and DHEA in SWS, and among cortisol, progesterone, and DHEA in UWS and SWS. Significant negative correlations were observed between MUC1 and cortisol/DHEA ratio in UWS and SWS. When each phase was analyzed individually, MUC1 expression showed significant negative correlations with cortisol, progesterone, and cortisol/DHEA ratio in UWS and with progesterone and cortisol/DHEA ratio in SWS during the mid-luteal phase. A significant negative correlation was also observed between MUC1 and cortisol/DHEA ratio in UWS during the late luteal phase.


CONCLUSIONS
Stress-related psychoendocrinological interactions throughout the menstrual cycle resulted in a decrease in oral mucosal epithelial MUC1 expression and a weakening of oral mucosal defense.
Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
Y-H
YH
Lee
Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
Y-Y
YY
Kim
Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
J-Y
JY
Chang
Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.|Institute on Aging Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
H-S
HS
Kho
D000328:Adult; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000378:metabolism; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000378:metabolism; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000378:metabolism*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
D053379:Chromogranin A; C060192:MUC1 protein, human; D018396:Mucin-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D006854:Hydrocortisone
MUC1; menstrual cycle; saliva; steroid hormone; stress