Abstract
Purpose :
To investigate hair cortisol concentration (HCC), a biochemical correlate of chronic psychological stress and long-term cortisol output patterns, and its relationship to active central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).
Methods :
Twenty-six participants were included in this prospective observational pilot study (11 patients with active CSC and 15 healthy controls). HCCs were determined from 3-cm hair strands collected near the scalp from patients and controls as an index of cumulative cortisol secretion. Based on an average hair growth rate of 1 cm/month, hair cortisol of a hair segment of 3 cm length is supposed to represent the cortisol profile of the last three months. Cortisol levels were determined in Institute of Biopsychology of the TU Dresden using a commercially available immunoassay with chemoluminescence detection (CLIA, IBL-Hamburg, Germany). Relevant sociodemographic variables were recorded. An objective standardized questionnaire for chronic stress had to be answered using the Trierer Inventar of chronic stress (TICS) screening scale.
Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS: ANCOVA and Sidak's post hoc tests were used to determine which parameters differed between the two groups.
Results :
Patients with CSC were 48.3 ± 11.0 years old, and the participants in the healthy group were 32.5 ± 13.2 years old (P=0.004). Since there was a significant age difference between the two groups, age was used as a covariateand the age-adjusted values of HCCs were compared.
In patients with CSC, age-adjusted HCCs were higher (mean value: 20.14, 95% CI: 14.89…27.16 pg/mg) than those in healthy controls (mean value: 11.06, 95% CI: 8.63…14.22 pg/mg, P=0.008).
Group differences were not affected by relevant covariates (BMI, sex, smoking status, hormonal contraception).
Conclusions :
This study shows that increased HCC seems to be associated with active CSC. There are a variety of causes of increased HCC.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.