Effects of menopause and fat mass in asthmatic inflammation

Abstract

Introduction: Female hormones and obesity have an impact on women with asthma. We aimed to describe how these components affect asthma inflammatory processes. Methods: Sex hormones [FSH, LH, estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), testosterone and Δ4 androstenedione (A4)] and serum IL1β, IL13, IL17a, IL-5, IL6, TNF-a were measured from 11 to18 pre- and postmenopausal women with asthma. Results: Premenopausal normal weight women revealed higher levels of IL5 and IL17a than obese women on both days of the menstrual cycle (IL5: D1: 6.4 vs 1.4 pg/ml, p =.036 and D14: 3 vs 1.4 pg/ml, p =.045 and IL17a: D1: 13.7 pg/ml vs 10.6 pg/ml and D14: 12.4 pg/ml vs 10.6 pg/ml, p =.009, respectively). In premenopausal women on D1, Δ4 Androstenedione was positively correlated with IL1β (p =.016, r = 0.733), whereas on D14, Estradiol with IL1β (p =.009, r = −.768) and TNF-a with Testosterone (p =.004, r = −0.816), and Δ4 Androstenedione (p =.002, r = −0.841) negatively. In postmenopausal women, TNF-a was negatively associated with FSH (p =.004, r = −0.638), but positively with Testosterone (p =.025, r = 0.526) and IL10 also positively with Estradiol (p =.007, r = 0.610). Conclusion: Obesity shows a protective role in asthma through the suppression of IL5 and IL17. Estrogens seem to inhibit Th1 and Th2 inflammation, while androgens have a dual role with negative and positive correlations with neutrophilic biomarkers.