The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Diurnal patterns of salivary cortisol and cortisone output in chronic fatigue syndrome

Diurnal patterns of salivary cortisol and cortisone output in chronic fatigue syndrome
Diurnal patterns of salivary cortisol and cortisone output in chronic fatigue syndrome
Background The aim of the present study was to obtain a naturalistic measure of diurnal hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis output in CFS patients unaffected by medication or comorbid psychiatric disorder likely to influence the axis.
Method Cortisol and cortisone levels were measured in saliva samples collected from 0600 h to 2100 h at 3-h intervals in CFS patients and healthy controls.
Results Mean cortisol and cortisone concentrations were significantly lower in patients than controls across the whole day, as were levels at each individual time point except 2100 h. Cosinor analysis showed a significant diurnal rhythm of cortisol and cortisone that was not phase-shifted in CFS compared to controls. However, there was a lower rhythm-adjusted mean and a lower amplitude in CFS patients. The cortisol/cortisone ratio showed no diurnal rhythm and did not differ between CFS subjects and controls.
Limitations The sample size was relatively small, and drawn from specialist referral patients who had been ill for some time; generalisation of these results to other populations is therefore unwarranted.
Conclusion The main findings of this study are to provide further evidence for reduced basal HPA axis function in at least some patients with CFS and to show for the first time that salivary cortisone is also reduced in CFS and has a diurnal rhythm similar to that of cortisol. We have also demonstrated that the cortisol/cortisone ratio remains unchanged in CFS, suggesting that increased conversion of cortisol to cortisone cannot account for the observed lowering of salivary cortisol.
chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), salivary cortisol, salivary cortisone, diurnal rhythm, circadian rhythm, hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal axis
0165-0327
299-304
Jerjes, W.K.
008e58df-0a71-4f91-9194-97c4ffd5b5f3
Cleare, A.J.
919d33b0-7201-42d6-a0b5-6e792d2de8f3
Wessely, S.
c8d65b8b-677c-497b-96ff-49eb5d769c2b
Wood, P.J.
f0dfe718-fa0f-43b1-9b2d-4bdc9c41320a
Taylor, N.F.
711d5af3-290c-4e40-88a6-fcc235c126a9
Jerjes, W.K.
008e58df-0a71-4f91-9194-97c4ffd5b5f3
Cleare, A.J.
919d33b0-7201-42d6-a0b5-6e792d2de8f3
Wessely, S.
c8d65b8b-677c-497b-96ff-49eb5d769c2b
Wood, P.J.
f0dfe718-fa0f-43b1-9b2d-4bdc9c41320a
Taylor, N.F.
711d5af3-290c-4e40-88a6-fcc235c126a9

Jerjes, W.K., Cleare, A.J., Wessely, S., Wood, P.J. and Taylor, N.F. (2005) Diurnal patterns of salivary cortisol and cortisone output in chronic fatigue syndrome. Journal of Affective Disorders, 87 (2-3), 299-304. (doi:10.1016/j.jad.2005.03.013).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background The aim of the present study was to obtain a naturalistic measure of diurnal hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis output in CFS patients unaffected by medication or comorbid psychiatric disorder likely to influence the axis.
Method Cortisol and cortisone levels were measured in saliva samples collected from 0600 h to 2100 h at 3-h intervals in CFS patients and healthy controls.
Results Mean cortisol and cortisone concentrations were significantly lower in patients than controls across the whole day, as were levels at each individual time point except 2100 h. Cosinor analysis showed a significant diurnal rhythm of cortisol and cortisone that was not phase-shifted in CFS compared to controls. However, there was a lower rhythm-adjusted mean and a lower amplitude in CFS patients. The cortisol/cortisone ratio showed no diurnal rhythm and did not differ between CFS subjects and controls.
Limitations The sample size was relatively small, and drawn from specialist referral patients who had been ill for some time; generalisation of these results to other populations is therefore unwarranted.
Conclusion The main findings of this study are to provide further evidence for reduced basal HPA axis function in at least some patients with CFS and to show for the first time that salivary cortisone is also reduced in CFS and has a diurnal rhythm similar to that of cortisol. We have also demonstrated that the cortisol/cortisone ratio remains unchanged in CFS, suggesting that increased conversion of cortisol to cortisone cannot account for the observed lowering of salivary cortisol.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: August 2005
Keywords: chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), salivary cortisol, salivary cortisone, diurnal rhythm, circadian rhythm, hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal axis

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 24779
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/24779
ISSN: 0165-0327
PURE UUID: 98815a5c-36a4-45d1-935c-9779d40440f2

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 03 Apr 2006
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 06:58

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: W.K. Jerjes
Author: A.J. Cleare
Author: S. Wessely
Author: P.J. Wood
Author: N.F. Taylor

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×