Serum testosterone levels in bipolar and unipolar depressed female patients and the role of medication status.

Objective: to compare testosterone levels between female depressed patients and female bipolar patients.Methods: Sixty-one female patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) (n = 23) or bipolar disorder (BD) (n = 38) between 18 and 45 years old were included in the study. Participants were evaluated during a depressive or manic episode with the Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) or Young mania rating scale (YMRS), respectively. No patients in the MDD group were taken valproate while in the BD group 14 (36.84%) were taken valproate. Total testosterone (TT) and free testosterone (FT) levels were quantified during the early follicular phase of the cycle, with radioimmunoassay or solid phase enzyme-linked immunoassay. Data were collected from May 2016 to February 2017.Results: Mean TT serum levels were significantly higher in BD patients in comparison to MDD patients. Although age and diagnosis were related to TT levels, however when we added valproate use in the analysis, only the relation between TT and valproate use remained significant.Conclusions: In this sample, TT levels were related to valproate use in patients with BD. More studies regarding the role of testosterone in affective symptoms should be conducted to clarify the relation between testosterone, affective disorders, and medication.KeypointsWe observed that testosterone levels were significant higher in bipolar women compared to women with MDD.The use of valproate could be associated with the testosterone levels in female patients with BD.Evaluation of women suffering BD should include a testosterone levels determination, particularly when they are taking valproate.

Consideraciones clínicas y endocrinológicas en mujeres con trastorno bipolar / Clinical and endocrine considerations in bipolar women

El trastorno bipolar es una de las enfermedades mentales más discapacitantes. Existen diferencias en cuanto al tipo de episodios más frecuentes, la polaridad predominante y la frecuencia de comorbilidad según el sexo. En la mujer es importante considerar la etapa de vida reproductiva en que se encuentra, pues se sabe que puede influir en el curso de la enfermedad. Se ha informado una elevada comorbilidad del trastorno bipolar con trastorno disfórico premenstrual y una exacerbación de los síntomas en el período premenstrual en el 44% al 65%, que puede conducir a un peor curso de la enfermedad. El embarazo no parece incrementar la presencia de episodios de la enfermedad; sin embargo, el tratamiento se complica de forma importante, mientras que la suspensión de la medicación puede llevar a recaídas, el mantenerlo puede llevar a resultados obstétricos negativos, malformaciones congénitas e incluso alteraciones del neurodesarrollo. De tal manera que la evaluación de riesgo-beneficio en estas pacientes tiene que ser muy cautelosa. En el posparto, claramente se relaciona con un incremento en el riesgo de presentar algún episodio afectivo. Al llegar a la transición a la menopausia parecieran incrementarse los episodios de tipo depresivo. La relación entre el ciclo reproductivo y la presencia de episodios de enfermedad, así como los estudios en otras entidades psiquiátricas, han llevado a considerar que una relación entre las hormonas gonadales y los neurotransmisores podrían subyacer a esta entidad. En el presente artículo describimos algunas de las observaciones relacionadas con estrógenos, progesterona y sus metabolitos, testosterona y deshidroepiandrosterona

Bipolar disorder is one of the most disabling psychiatric illnesses. Some characteristics of the disorder vary with sex, such as predominant polarity, frequency and type of comorbidity, and type of episodes presented. In the case of bipolar women, it is important to consider reproductive events, due to their influence in the course of the disorder. High comorbidity of bipolar disorder and premenstrual dysphoric disorder with an exacerbation of symptoms in the premenstrual period has been reported in 44% to 65% which may lead to a worse disease course. In general, women with premenstrual symptom exacerbation show more affective - particularly depressive - episodes, more frequent relapses, and more severe symptomatology. Pregnancy does not appear to increase presence of bipolar episodes, but significantly complicates treatment. On the one hand, stopping the treatment, particularly abruptly, increases the risk of relapse; while on the other, the use of mood stabilizers represents a risk for the newborn. Poor neonatal outcomes, congenital malformations and neurodevelopment alterations in children of mothers exposed to mood stabilizers during pregnancy have been reported. So, a meticulous benefit-risk assessment should be carried out in pregnant bipolar women. In the postpartum period, a clearer relation with increased risk of affective episode has been observed; while the perimenopause increases depressive episodes. The inter-relation between reproductive cycle and bipolar episodes suggests that gonadal hormones are involved in their physio-pathology. Here we discuss some of the observations related to testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, estrogens, and progesterone