Are CRH & NGF as psychoneuroimmune regulators in women with polycystic ovary syndrome?

Abstract

Purpose: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects quality of life and can worsen anxiety and depression either due to the features of PCOS or due to the diagnosis of a chronic disease. Corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and nerves growth factor (NGF) are the modulator for the actions of the sympathetic nervous and immune systems.

Methods: In total, 171 women divided into two groups: study and control groups. Serum CRH, NGF, and interleukins: IL-1α. IL-1β, 17A, and TNFα were determined by ELISA Kits in both groups.

Results: The results showed that IL-1α (p < 0.001) and β (p = 0.017) significantly increased in PCO group. CRH, NGF, and IL-17α in serum of patients with PCO significantly lower than the control group (p < 0.001). The results of this study indicate: (1) destruction of three cytokines pattern, (2) Reduction of CRH, NGF, and IL-17α in serum of PCO patients can be under the direct influence of the sympathetic nervous system (SAS), and (3) reduction of CRH and NGFα can be reason of psych/emotional distress in women with PCOS.

Conclusions: The results of this study confirm (1) low-grade chronic inflammation in PCOS. This impaired cytokine pattern can play a major role in the immune-pathogenesis of PCOS; (2) hyponeurotrophinemia and reduction of CRH in women with PCOS could reflect deficit of neuronal stress-adaptation in these patients.

Chinese abstract

目的：作为慢性疾病的多囊卵巢综合征不论在病程上亦或是疾病特征上均会影响患者的生活质量, 加重患者的焦虑和抑郁情绪。促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素 (CRH) 和神经生长因子 (NGF) 对交感神经和免疫系统的具有调节作用。

方法：将171名女性分为实验组和对照组。使用ELISA检测试剂盒检测两组受试者血清内的促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素, 神经生长因子及白细胞介素 (IL-1α. IL-1β, 17A) 和肿瘤坏死因子α (TNFα) 表达水平。

结果：实验组多囊卵巢患者血清中IL-1α (p < 0.001) 和IL-1β(p = 0.017)表达水平显著升高, CRH, NGF和IL-17α表达水平明显低于对照组(p < 0.001)。研究结果表明：(1)三类细胞因子被破坏, 表达减少；(2)对交感神经系统的直接作用可降低多囊卵巢患者血清中CRH, NGF和IL-17α表达水平；(3)多囊卵巢综合征患者的精神/情绪低落可能是由CRH和NGFα的降低而引起。

结论：本研究证明：(1)慢性低度炎症对细胞因子的损害在多囊卵巢综合征患者的免疫发病机制中起主要作用；(2)多囊卵巢综合征患者的低神经营养因子血症及较低的CRH表达水平反映出该患者的神经元压力适应能力存在缺陷。

Keywords:

• CRH
• interleukins
• NGF
• polycystic ovary syndrome
• tumor necrosis factor alpha
• sympathetic nervous system

Declaration of interest

None of the authors have any actual or potential conflict of interest. This work was supported by a grant (publication No. 39-19492, revised 2012) from Research Council of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.