Hormonal contraceptive use is associated with differences in women's inflammatory and psychological reactivity to an acute social stressor.
Brain Behav Immun
; 115: 747-757, 2024 01.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37914104
ABSTRACT
Women using hormonal contraceptives (HCs) exhibit numerous signs of chronic inflammation, including elevated C-reactive protein levels and greater risk of developing mood and autoimmune disorders. However, users and non-users of HCs often have similar circulating proinflammatory cytokine levels, making the mechanism of association unclear. One possible explanation for this paradox is that HC users exhibit differences in their inflammatory responses to psychosocial stress that, over time, could contribute to chronic inflammation and its pathologies. Here, we tested this possibility by examining women's glucocorticoid, inflammatory, and psychological responses to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in 67 naturally cycling (NC) and 60 oral HC-using women (Mage = 19.31, SDage = 1.95). As hypothesized, HC users and NC women exhibited different glucocorticoid and proinflammatory cytokine responses to the TSST. For NC women, TSST-induced increases in glucocorticoids were uncommon, and increases in glucocorticoids were accompanied by elevations in IL-6. In contrast, for women using HCs, increases in glucocorticoids in response to the TSST were common, and increases in glucocorticoids were accompanied by increases in TNF-α. HC users and NC women also differed in their psychological responses to the TSST, with HC users reporting elevated stress levels compared to NC women. Together, these results suggest that HC use impacts women's glucocorticoid, inflammatory, and psychological responses to psychosocial stress, potentially contributing to observed differences in these women's mental and physical health.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Anticonceptivos
/
Glucocorticoides
Límite:
Adult
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
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Humans
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Infant
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Brain Behav Immun
Asunto de la revista:
ALERGIA E IMUNOLOGIA
/
CEREBRO
/
PSICOFISIOLOGIA
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article