Endocrine Abstracts

Pregnancy is characterized by profound changes in woman’s hormonal and metabolic status. Cortisol has been postulated to play a central role in the physiological changes associated with pregnancy. The extends of this effect in the three stages of pregnancy remain to be fully investigated. The current study investigates the level of serum cortisol in the three stages of pregnancy and correlates this with reproductive hormones and electrolyte balance. These changes were further compared with non pregnant controls. Two hundred volunteer women were recruited from our Lady Catholic Hospital, Oluyoro Oke Ofa, Ibadan, Nigeria. These subjects consist of 50 women in each of the three trimester and 50 non-pregnant, none lactating, apparently healthy, aged matched controls. Serum cortisol, progesterone and prolactin were measured by ELIZA using commercial kits other biochemical assay where done using conventional methods. The results shows significant progressive increase in the BMI of pregnant women compared with controls. The diastolic pressure was significantly increased only in the first trimester. While glucose and protein levels were significantly depressed, total cholesterol concentration increased progressively in pregnant women. Serum cortisol concentration increased significantly as early as first trimester, reach the pick in second trimester and came down in third trimester. This increase was accompanied by increase in progesterone and prolactin. Increase in serum cortisol correlate positively with increase in serum chloride and inversely with decreased serum potassium and bicarbonate. This study shows clearly that cortisol plays a central role in the biochemical changes in pregnancy. The increase in serum cortisol is a possible indicator of emotional stress and physiological challenges in pregnancy and also, possibly risk signal. The concurrent increase in progesterone and prolactin are compensating mechanism in response to these challenges. It may therefore be of clinical relevant to monitor the serum cortisol levels and some of the compensating/associated variables, especially in threatening pregnancy.