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Partnered sexual activity moderates menstrual cycle-related changes in inflammation markers in healthy women: an exploratory observational study.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:To examine differences in inflammation markers in sexually active versus abstinent women and observe changes in inflammation markers across the menstrual cycle. Cycle-related immune fluctuations may have evolved to reduce interference with conception. If so, reproductively active (i.e., sexually active) women should show the most variability in cytokine expression. DESIGN:Participants provided serum samples at menses and ovulation (from which cytokines were assayed) and saliva samples at menses and during follicular, ovulation, and luteal phases (from which C-reactive protein [CRP] was assayed). Participants self-reported intercourse frequency during the study. SETTING:Academic research laboratory. PATIENT(S):Thirty-two healthy, naturally cycling premenopausal women (sexually active, n = 15; abstinent, n = 17). INTERVENTION(S):Observational study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):Levels of proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 [IL-6], interferon ? [IFN-?], tumor necrosis factor-? [TNF-?]), an anti-inflammatory cytokine (interleukin-4 [IL-4]), and a marker of total inflammation (CRP). RESULT(S):Sexually active women had higher levels of all of the immune markers measured, including both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, than abstinent women. Relative to sexually active women, abstinent women had less change across the menstrual cycle in levels of CRP. Among sexually active women, higher intercourse frequency predicted greater midcycle decreases in CRP, IL-6, and IFN-? and midcycle increases in IL-4. CONCLUSION(S):Sexual activity may stimulate a complex interaction between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines that subsequently drives midcycle declines in inflammation.

SUBMITTER: Lorenz TK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5337441 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Partnered sexual activity moderates menstrual cycle-related changes in inflammation markers in healthy women: an exploratory observational study.

Lorenz Tierney K TK Demas Gregory E GE Heiman Julia R JR

Fertility and sterility 20161202 3

<h4>Objective</h4>To examine differences in inflammation markers in sexually active versus abstinent women and observe changes in inflammation markers across the menstrual cycle. Cycle-related immune fluctuations may have evolved to reduce interference with conception. If so, reproductively active (i.e., sexually active) women should show the most variability in cytokine expression.<h4>Design</h4>Participants provided serum samples at menses and ovulation (from which cytokines were assayed) and ...[more]

PMID: 27919440

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Project description:BACKGROUND: The vaginal microbial community plays a vital role in maintaining women's health. Understanding the precise bacterial composition is challenging because of the diverse and difficult-to-culture nature of many bacterial constituents, necessitating culture-independent methodology. During a natural menstrual cycle, physiological changes could have an impact on bacterial growth, colonization, and community structure. The objective of this study was to assess the stability of the vaginal microbiome of healthy Canadian women throughout a menstrual cycle by using cpn60-based microbiota analysis. Vaginal swabs from 27 naturally cycling reproductive-age women were collected weekly through a single menstrual cycle. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to amplify the universal target region of the cpn60 gene and generate amplicons representative of the microbial community. Amplicons were pyrosequenced, assembled into operational taxonomic units, and analyzed. Samples were also assayed for total 16S rRNA gene content and Gardnerella vaginalis by quantitative PCR and screened for the presence of Mollicutes by using family and genus-specific PCR. RESULTS: Overall, the vaginal microbiome of most women remained relatively stable throughout the menstrual cycle, with little variation in diversity and only modest fluctuations in species richness. Microbiomes between women were more different than were those collected consecutively from individual women. Clustering of microbial profiles revealed the expected groupings dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus iners, and Lactobacillus jensenii. Interestingly, two additional clusters were dominated by either Bifidobacterium breve or a heterogeneous mixture of nonlactobacilli. Direct G. vaginalis quantification correlated strongly with its pyrosequencing-read abundance, and Mollicutes, including Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma parvum, and Ureaplasma urealyticum, were detected in most samples. CONCLUSIONS: Our cpn60-based investigation of the vaginal microbiome demonstrated that in healthy women most vaginal microbiomes remained stable through their menstrual cycle. Of interest in these findings was the presence of Bifidobacteriales beyond just Gardnerella species. Bifidobacteriales are frequently underrepresented in 16S rRNA gene-based studies, and their detection by cpn60-based investigation suggests that their significance in the vaginal community may be underappreciated.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Little is known about how the menstrual cycle affects gastrointestinal function and self-reported stress in young, healthy women taking oral contraceptives (OC). This study prospectively characterized gastrointestinal function and symptoms on each day throughout the menstrual cycle. METHODS:Healthy women aged 18-35?years (n?=?78) who took OC participated in the 5-week observational study. Stool frequency, self-reported stress, stool form measured by the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS), and gastrointestinal symptoms measured by a modified version of the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) were assessed daily. GSRS scores were reported (1?=?no discomfort at all, 7?=?very severe discomfort) and were averaged for individual syndrome scores or summed for the total score. The validated, weekly version of the GSRS was completed at two time points to reflect menstruation and 1?week prior to menstruation (n?=?72). Outcomes were analyzed in linear mixed models with the Dunnett's post hoc test against day 1 of menstrual bleeding or with nonparametric tests. RESULTS:Daily stress (P?=?0.0018), BSFS score (P?=?0.0493), stool frequency (P?=?0.0241), abdominal pain (P?<?0.0001), diarrhea (P?=?0.0022), constipation (P?=?0.0446), reflux (P?=?0.0193), and indigestion (P?<?0.0001) all varied significantly by the day of the menstrual cycle. Dunnett's post hoc tests showed that scores (mean?±?SEM) on the first day of bleeding (day 1) for daily abdominal pain (2.6?±?0.2), diarrhea (1.7?±?0.1), and indigestion (2.1?±?0.2) symptoms were higher than scores on all other days of the menstrual cycle (P?<?0.05) with scores not on day 1 falling under 1.5, or between no discomfort at all and slight discomfort. Reflux, stool frequency, BSFS, self-reported stress, and constipation were higher on day 1 (P?<?0.05) than on 12, 8, 6, 4, and 2 other days of the menstrual cycle, respectively. The median (IQR) GSRS score was higher during the week of menstruation than the week prior to menstruation for diarrhea [1.50 (1.00-2.33) vs 1.33 (1.00-2.00), P?=?0.002] and abdominal pain [2.00 (1.33-2.67) vs 1.67 (1.33-2.33), P?=?0.011] syndrome scores. CONCLUSION:Bowel habits appear to vary across the menstrual cycle and suggest more gastrointestinal discomfort on day 1 of menstrual bleeding in healthy women taking OC. Future interventional studies could identify ways to improve gastrointestinal symptoms in healthy women during menstruation.

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Partnered sexual activity moderates menstrual cycle-related changes in inflammation markers in healthy women: an exploratory observational study.

Publications

Partnered sexual activity moderates menstrual cycle-related changes in inflammation markers in healthy women: an exploratory observational study.

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