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Cited by 276Stress Responses and CortisolAdrenal Hormones and DisordersEstrogen and related hormone effects

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 43 of the 43 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Sex Differences in Glucocorticoid Sensitivity of Proinflammatory Cytokine Production After Psychosocial Stress

Rohleder, Nicolas, Schommer, Nicole C., Hellhammer, Dirk H., Engel, Renate, Kirschbaum, Clemens·2001·Psychosomatic Medicine
DOI 10.1097/00006842-200111000-00016
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Men and women show marked differences in susceptibility to disorders related to the immune system. These gender differences have been proposed to be mediated by functional interactions of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axes. A potential mechanism involved in this interaction is the glucocorticoid (GC) sensitivity of relevant target tissues for GC. Therefore, the aim of the study reported here was to investigate the impact of psychosocial stress and HPA axis activation on the GC sensitivity of proinflammatory cytokine production in men and women. METHODS: A total of 45 healthy subjects were investigated. Eighteen women in the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle and 27 men were exposed to a psychosocial stress test (Trier Social Stress Test). Salivary free cortisol levels were measured repeatedly after exposure to the stressor. GC sensitivity was assessed in vitro by dexamethasone inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated production of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. RESULTS: The stress test induced significant increases in salivary free cortisol with no significant differences between men and women. In contrast, GC sensitivity and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated cytokine production showed large gender differences. In men GC sensitivity was markedly increased 1 hour after stress, whereas GC sensitivity decreased significantly in women. Similarly, lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokine production decreased in response to stress in men but increased in women. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that despite similar free cortisol responses of men and women (studied in the luteal phase) to psychosocial stress, gender may exert differential effects on the immune system by modulating GC sensitivity of proinflammatory cytokine production.

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Crossref · 10.1097/00006842-200111000-00016

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Citations

Cites

Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. Lahita, 1997, Int J Fertil Womens Med, 42, 115
  2. Franchimont, 1999, J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 84, 2834
  3. Sternberg, 1989, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 86, 4471
  4. DeRijk, 1996, J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 81, 228
  5. DeRijk, 1997, J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 82, 2182
  6. Sapolsky, 2000, Endocr Rev, 21, 55

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Metadata

Authors
Rohleder, N., Schommer, N. C., Hellhammer, D. H., Engel, R., & Kirschbaum, C.
Affiliations
  • Universität Trier (DE)
  • Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (DE)
ORCID
Venue
Psychosomatic Medicine
Publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Published
2001-11
Volume
63
Issue
6
Pages
966-972
ISSN
0033-3174 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1097/00006842-200111000-00016
OpenAlex
W2326396329
Cited by
276
References
43
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 16
FWCI
4.56
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Psychosomatic Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Adrenal Hormones and Disorders
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Endocrinology › Estrogen and related hormone effects
Keywords
sex differences, glucocorticoid sensitivity, psychosocial stress, inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-6, TNF-α, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, salivary cortisol, lipopolysaccharide stimulation, Trier Social Stress Test, luteal phase
MeSH terms
Adult, Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Dexamethasone, Female, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Male, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Sex Factors, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Body Mass Index, Cytokines

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