Sexual activity modulates shifts in TH1/TH2 cytokine profile across the menstrual cycle: an observational study
Open accessAbstract
Objective To investigate if sexual activity moderated menstrual cycle-related shifts in cytokines associated with T-helper type 1 (TH1) cells (e.g., interferon [IFN] γ) and T-helper type 2 (TH2) cells (e.g., interleukin [IL] 4). Immune activity shifts across the menstrual cycle, with higher follicular-phase TH1-cell activity but higher luteal-phase TH2-cell activity. Little is known about how social behaviors alter TH1-TH2 ratios, despite evidence that psychosocial factors can influence immunity. Of particular interest is how sexual activity influences immune responses that may support conception, such as the TH1-TH2 balance.Design Participants provided saliva samples at four time points (menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phases), which were assayed by means of ELISA.Setting Academic laboratory.Participant(s) Thirty healthy premenopausal women (16 sexually abstinent, 14 sexually active) not taking hormonal or immunoactive medications.Intervention(s) None.Main outcome measure(s) Salivary E2, P, IFN-γ, and IL-4.Result(s) Sexually active, but not abstinent, women were significantly more likely to express TH2-like cytokine ratios (IFN-γ < IL-4) in the luteal phase than in other phases. Similarly, sexually active women had significantly higher P, and higher P-E2 ratios, in the luteal phase than did abstinent women. The P-E2 ratio mediated menstrual variations in cytokine ratios in sexually active women.Conclusion(s) These results support the hypothesis that shifts in immune response across the menstrual cycle may reflect tradeoffs between reproduction and immunity. These findings point to the need for further research on the interaction between sexual behavior, the menstrual cycle, and immune response.
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In healthy subjects, close coordination between the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal and immune systems has been described, giving rise to regular fluctuations over the course of the menstrual cycle as well as acute variations in response to HPG activation.
“In healthy subjects, close coordination between the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) and immune systems has been described, giving rise to regular fluctuations over the course of the menstrual cycle as well as acute variations in response to HPG activation8,9.”
From Leveraging Prior Knowledge of Endocrine Immune Regulation in the Therapeutically-relevant Phenotyping of Women with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (2019) · cites this paper as [9]
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- Authors
- Lorenz, T. K., Heiman, J. R., & Demas, G. E.
- Affiliations
- Indiana University Bloomington (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lorenz, Tierney K.
- Venue
- Fertility and Sterility
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-12
- Volume
- 104
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1513-1521.e4
- ISSN
- 0015-0282 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4663173
- OpenAlex
- W1634506716
- Cited by
- 46
- References
- 64
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 7 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 2
- FWCI
- 1.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Fertility and Sterility (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- American Psychological Foundation (T32HD049336-09)
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Reproductive System and Pregnancy
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Reproductive Health and Contraception
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Estrogen and related hormone effects
- Keywords
- sexual activity, menstrual cycle, Th1/Th2 balance, interferon-gamma, IL-4, luteal phase, follicular phase, estradiol, progesterone, salivary cytokines, premenopausal women
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Estradiol, Female, Humans, Interferon-gamma, Menstrual Cycle, Progesterone, Saliva, Sexual Behavior, Sexual Abstinence, Time Factors, Interleukin-4, Cytokines, Th1 Cells, Th2 Cells, Young Adult, Th1-Th2 Balance
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