Dysfunction of anterior pituitary gland in women patients with recent fibromyalgia: A cross-sectional observational study

Abstract

Objective: To assess the basal levels of circulating anterior pituitary gland hormones in women presented with a recent diagnosis of fibromyalgia (FM). Methods: This cross-sectional study was included 130 women presented with a clinical signs and symptoms of FM women and 35 age-matched healthy subjects served as controls. The plasma levels of growth hormone (GH) and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), and the serum levels of prolactin (PRL) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were measured. The scores of the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR), the number of tender points (TPs), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the Hamilton’s scale for depression (HSD) were measured. Results: Significantly higher levels of PRL, TSH, and ACTH and lower levels of GH were observed in FM patients. The ACTH level was inversely and significantly correlated with the number of the TPs (r =-0.173, R2= 0.31, F=4.110, p=0.045). The positive predictive values of GH, THS, PRL and ACTH were 92.3, 63.8, 90.8, and 86.1%, respectively. Conclusions: Our results indicate that dysfunction of the anterior pituitary gland is a feature of FM.