Cited by 27Stress Responses and CortisolEndometriosis Research and TreatmentAdrenal Hormones and Disorders

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Responses in Women with Endometriosis-Related Chronic Pelvic Pain

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Ortiz, Robin, Gemmill, Julie Anne L., Sinaii, Ninet, Stegmann, Barbara, Khachikyan, Izabella, Chrousos, George, Segars, James, Stratton, Pamela·2020·Reproductive Sciences

Abstract

Some chronic pain conditions and comorbidities suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and response to dynamic testing. We measured HPA axis responses to corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) administration in relation to chronic pelvic pain and endometriosis. In a cross-sectional study of women (n = 54) with endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain (n = 22), chronic pelvic pain alone (n = 12), or healthy volunteers (n = 20), adrenocorticotropic-releasing hormone (ACTH) and cortisol levels were measured at 0, 15, 30, and 45 min after intravenous ovine CRH administration. ACTH and cortisol delta (peak-baseline) and area under the curve (AUC) were compared by study group and assessed for association with race and menstrual and non-menstrual pain severity. HPA axis responses did not differ among the racially diverse groups or in those with pain compared with healthy volunteers. However, when stratified by race, ACTH delta (129.9 ± 130.7 vs. 52.5 ± 66.0 pg/mL; p = 0.003), ACTH AUC (4813 ± 4707 vs. 2290 ± 2900 min*pg/mL; p = 0.013), and cortisol delta (26.3 ± 21.5 vs. 13.2 ± 9.7 μg/mL; p = 0.005) were significantly higher in black (n = 10) than predominately white (non-black) subjects (n = 44; 39/44 white). In analyses among primarily white (non-black) women, greater menstrual pain severity was associated with blunted ACTH delta (p = 0.015) and cortisol delta (p = 0.023), and greater non-menstrual pain severity with blunted cortisol delta (p = 0.017). Neuroendocrine abnormalities in women with chronic pelvic pain may differ by pain manifestations and may vary by race. The higher HPA axis response in black women merits investigation in pelvic pain studies stratified by race. In white (non-black) women experiencing pain, a blunted response was related to pain severity suggesting pain affects women independently of endometriosis lesions.

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  • A blunted early morning cortisol response to CRH test is associated with greater menstrual and non-menstrual pain in endometriosis.

    “a blunted early morning cortisol response to CRH test was associated with greater menstrual and non-menstrual pain in endometriosis [101].”

    From Hormonal treatments for endometriosis: The endocrine background (2022) · cites this paper as [101]

    The Discussion reports that a blunted response to early-morning CRH testing was associated with greater menstrual and non-menstrual pain, but this finding came from an analysis restricted to non-black participants that combined women with and without biopsy-confirmed endometriosis. The paper does not establish the association specifically for women with endometriosis or for the full study population. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Authors
Ortiz, R., Gemmill, J. A. L., Sinaii, N., Stegmann, B., Khachikyan, I., Chrousos, G., Segars, J., & Stratton, P.
Affiliations
National Institutes of Health (US)
Corresponding author
Stratton, Pamela
Venue
Reproductive Sciences
Published
2020-06-22
Volume
27
Issue
10
Pages
1839-1847
ISSN
  • 1933-7191 (ISSN-L)
  • 1933-7205
OpenAlex
W3036818278
Cited by
27
References
46
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 4
FWCI
1.73
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Reproductive Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NCT00073801)
  • NIH Clinical Center (NCT00073801)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NCT00073801)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Endometriosis Research and Treatment
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Adrenal Hormones and Disorders
Keywords
endometriosis, chronic pelvic pain, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, corticotropin-releasing hormone stimulation, ACTH, cortisol, racial differences, Black women, dysmenorrhea, neuroendocrine abnormalities, pain intensity, women's health disparities
MeSH terms
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, Adult, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone, Cross-Sectional Studies, Endometriosis, Female, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Middle Aged, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Pelvic Pain, Young Adult, Chronic Pain

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