Serum levels of stress hormones in Albanian patients with allergic rhinitis

Abstract

The integration of the immune and endocrine systems through a network of signaling molecules-including cytokines and hormones-produces a consequent modulatory effect on immune function. In this study we aimed to comparatively evaluate the serum concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and cortisol in patients with allergic rhinitis and healthy control subjects. Morning fasting blood samples were obtained from 96 participants, including 66 patients with allergic rhinitis (mean age, 28 ± 10.7 years; range, 11-59 years) and 30 healthy control subjects (mean age, 32.4 ± 11.1 years; range, 14-57 years). Total immunoglobulin E (IgE), DHEA-S, and cortisol concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay. Female patients with allergic rhinitis exhibited lower DHEA-S levels than male patients and control subjects (p < 0.001). Although no intergroup differences were observed in the morning:evening cortisol ratio, the DHEA-S:cortisol ratio was the highest among female patients with allergic rhinitis (1:11). Total IgE levels were significantly higher among patients of both sexes (p < 0.05) than among the control subjects. There was a positive correlation between body mass index and age among all groups of participants (male and female patients: r = 0.6 and 0.7, respectively; male and female controls: r = 0.6 and 0.4, respectively) and a negative correlation between DHEA-S level and age among females (patients and controls: r = -0.4 and -0.5, respectively) and healthy male subjects (r = -0.7). In this study, female patients with allergic rhinitis exhibited significantly lower DHEA-S levels than their healthy counterparts and male patients. These results should be confirmed in a larger group of participants.