Dulce A. Espinoza-López, Departamento de Neurología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología Manuel Velasco Suárez, Ciudad de México, México
María R. Huerta-Franco, Departamento de Ciencias Aplicadas al Trabajo, División de Ciencias de la Salud, Campus León, Universidad de Guanajuato, León, Guanajuato, México
Fernando Zermeño-Pöhls, Departamento de Neurología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología Manuel Velasco Suárez, Ciudad de México, México
Ángeles Fernández-Aguilar, Laboratorio de Hormonas, Instituto Nacional de Neurología Manuel Velasco Suárez, Ciudad de México, México
Juan M. Márquez-Romero, Departamento de Medicina Interna, General de Zona No. 2, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Órgano de Operación Administrativa Desconcentrada, Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, México
Background: Several studies show evidence of the relationship between sex hormone levels and multiple sclerosis. Objective: To describe serum sex hormone levels and gynecological and obstetric characteristics of women with multiple sclerosis in remission and relapse. Material and methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Gynecological, obstetric, clinical and laboratory measurements were analyzed. Serum determinations included 17β-estradiol, progesterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone. Results: Eighty-nine patients were studied, with a mean age of 35.33 ± 9.5 years, and a mean age of 12.7 ± 1.7 menarche. 65.2% reported regular menstrual cycles, 25.9% reported irregular menstrual cycles, and 11 postmenopausal patients. Twenty-six patients experienced one or more miscarriages, 37 patients were nulligravida, and in those who reported pregnancies, the median was two. Thirty-six patients were evaluated during a relapse; 22 of these patients had regular menstrual cycles, and 59.1% of relapses occurred during the follicular phase. There was no difference in serum sex hormone levels when compared between relapsed and non-relapsed groups. Conclusions: There is a high frequency of irregular menstrual cycles and abortions in this sample of women with multiple sclerosis. In patients with regular menstrual cycles, relapses occurred most frequently during the follicular phase.
Keywords: Multiple sclerosis. Sex hormones. Menstrual cycle. Reproductive history. Follicular phase.