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- Karlén, Jerker, et al.
(författare)
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Cortisol in hair measured in young adults - a biomarker of major life stressors?
- 2011
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Ingår i: BMC Clinical Pathology. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1472-6890. ; 11:1, s. 12-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Stress as a cause of illness has been firmly established. In public health and stress research a retrospective biomarker of extended stress would be an indispensible aid. The objective of this pilot study was to investigate whether concentrations of cortisol in hair correlate with perceived stress, experiences of serious life events, and perceived health in young adults. Methods Hair samples were cut from the posterior vertex area of (n = 99) university students who also answered a questionnaire covering experiences of serious life events, perceived Stress Scale and perceived health during the last three months. Cortisol was measured using a competitive radioimmunoassay in methanol extracts of hair samples frozen in liquid nitrogen and mechanically pulverised. Results Mean cortisol levels were significantly related to serious life events (p = 0.045), weakly negatively correlated to perceived stress (p = 0.025, r = -0.061) but nor affected by sex, coloured/permed hair, intake of pharmaceuticals or self-reported health. In a multiple regression model, only the indicator of serious life events had an independent (p = 0.041) explanation of increased levels of cortisol in hair. Out of four outliers with extremely high cortisol levels two could be contacted, both reported serious psychological problems. Conclusions These findings suggest that measurement of cortisol in hair could serve as a retrospective biomarker of increased cortisol production reflecting exposure to major life stressors and possibly extended psychological illness with important implications for research, clinical practice and public health. Experience of serious life events seems to be more important in raising cortisol levels in hair than perceived stress.
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| 2. |
- Karlén, Jerker, et al.
(författare)
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Maternal Influence on Child HPA Axis: A Prospective Study of Cortisol Levels in Hair
- 2013
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Ingår i: Pediatrics. - : American Academy of Pediatrics. - 0031-4005 .- 1098-4275. ; 132:5, s. E1333-E1340
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To investigate cortisol concentrations in hair as biomarker of prolonged stress in young children and their mothers and the relation to perinatal and sociodemographic factors. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanMETHODS: Prospective cohort study of 100 All Babies In Southeast Sweden study participants with repeated measures at 1, 3, 5, and 8 years and their mothers during pregnancy. Prolonged stress levels were assessed through cortisol in hair. A questionnaire covered perinatal and sociodemographic factors during the childs first year of life. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanRESULTS: Maternal hair cortisol during the second and third trimester and child hair cortisol at year 1 and 3 correlated. Child cortisol in hair levels decreased over time and correlated to each succeeding age, between years 1 and 3 (r = 0.30, P = .002), 3 and 5 (r = 0.39, P andlt; .001), and 5 and 8 (r = 0.44, P andlt; .001). Repeated measures gave a significant linear association over time (P andlt; .001). There was an association between high levels of hair cortisol and birth weight (beta = .224, P = .020), nonappropriate size for gestational age (beta = .231, P = .017), and living in an apartment compared with a house (beta = .200, P = .049). In addition, we found high levels of cortisol in hair related to other factors associated with psychosocial stress exposure. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanCONCLUSIONS: Correlation between hair cortisol levels in mothers and their children suggests a heritable trait or maternal calibration of the childs hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis. Cortisol output gradually stabilizes and seems to have a stable trait. Cortisol concentration in hair has the potential to become a biomarker of prolonged stress, especially applicable as a noninvasive method when studying how stress influences childrens health.
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| 3. |
- Mörelius, Eva-lotta, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
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A randomised trial of continuous skin-to-skin contact after preterm birth and the effects on salivary cortisol, parental stress, depression, and breastfeeding
- 2015
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Ingår i: Early Human Development. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-3782 .- 1872-6232. ; 91:1, s. 63-70
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIM:To evaluate the effects of almost continuous skin-to-skin contact (SSC) on salivary cortisol, parental stress, parental depression, and breastfeeding.STUDY DESIGN:This is a randomised study engaging families of late preterm infants (32-35weeks gestation). Salivary cortisol reactivity was measured in infants during a nappy change at one month corrected age, and in infants and mothers during still-face at four month corrected age. Both parents completed the Swedish Parenthood Stress Questionnaire (SPSQ) at one month and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at one and four months. Ainsworth's sensitivity scale was used to control for parental sensitivity.SUBJECTS:Thirty-seven families from two different neonatal care units in Sweden, randomised to either almost continuous SSC or standard care (SC).RESULTS:Infants randomised to SSC had a lower salivary cortisol reactivity at one month (p=0.01). There was a correlation between the mothers' and the preterm infants' salivary cortisol levels at four months in the SSC group (ρ=0.65, p=0.005), but not in the SC group (ρ=0.14, p=0.63). Fathers in SSC scored lower on the SPSQ sub-scale spouse relationship problems compared to fathers in SC (p<0.05).CONCLUSIONS:Almost continuous SSC decreases infants' cortisol reactivity in response to handling, improves the concordance between mothers' and infants' salivary cortisol levels, and decreases fathers' experiences of spouse relationship problems.
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