RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SYMPTOM SEVERITY AND STEROID VARIATION IN WOMEN WITH PREMENSTRUAL-SYNDROME - STUDY ON SERUM PREGNENOLONE, PREGNENOLONESULFATE, 5-ALPHA-PREGNANE-3,20-DIONE AND 3-ALPHA-HYDROXY-5-ALPHA-PREGNAN-20-ONE

The relationship between symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and s erum levels of pregnenolone (Pe), pregnenolone sulfate (PS), 5 alpha-p regnane-3,20-dione (5 alpha-DHP), 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-o ne (5 alpha-THP), LH, 17 beta-estradiol (E(2),), and progesterone (P) was investigated during 2 consecutive menstrual cycles in 12 patients using daily measurements. Corresponding hormones were also measured du ring 1 cycle in 8 control women. Pe, PS, 5 alpha-DHP, and 5 alpha-THP showed a significant cyclicity within menstrual cycles and a high rate of correlation with P variation in both PMS patients and controls. No significant difference was found between PMS patients and controls in average serum concentrations of Pe, PS, 5 alpha-DHP, 5 alpha-THP, and LH during the luteal phase, whereas a significantly higher level of E (2) and a lower level of P were observed in PMS patients. The variatio n in symptom scores was compared with that in hormone levels within ea ch woman. The symptom peak showed a delay of 3-4 days after the serum P, Pe, 5 alpha-DHP, and 5 alpha-THP peaks. However, the plasma PS peak appeared on the same day or only 1 day before the symptom peak in PMS patients. When comparing the 2 cycles studied, more negative symptoms occurred in cycles with higher luteal phase E(2), Pe, and PS concentr ations, whereas higher luteal phase 5 alpha-DHP and 5 alpha-THP concen trations were associated with improved symptom ratings in PMS patients . These results suggest that the mentioned steroids are related to the severity of distressing symptoms in PMS patients.