C-Reactive Protein & Menstruation

Melissa75 · May 20, 2009

This seems to explain why our (the ladies) lungs often feel extra cruddy at predictable points in our menstrual cycles.

CRP is a measure of inflammation.

Research Article
C-reactive protein across the menstrual cycle
Katherine Wander 1 *, Eleanor Brindle 2, Kathleen A. O'Connor 1 2
1Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
2Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
email: Katherine Wander (kwander@u.washington.edu)

*Correspondence to Katherine Wander, Department of Anthropology, Box 353100, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA

Funded by:
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Grant Number: R24D042828

Keywords
inflammation . estrogen . progesterone . biomarker

Abstract
C-reactive protein (CRP) is a widely used, sensitive biomarker of inflammation. Studies conducted among users of exogenous hormones suggest that estrogen increases CRP, whereas progesterone decreases CRP. Examinations of CRP in normally cycling women suggest the opposite: CRP is negatively associated with endogenous estrogen and positively associated with endogenous progesterone. This work evaluates the association between menstrual cycle-related hormone changes and events (menstruation and ovulation) and CRP. Eight female subjects gave urine and blood samples from twelve days across the menstrual cycle, for a total of eleven cycles. Blood samples were assayed for CRP; urine samples for -follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), pregnanediol 3-glucuronide (PDG), and estrone glucuronide (E1G). Ovulation day was estimated using hormone levels. Presence or absence of menses was reported by subjects. Analyses were conducted with random-effects linear regression. All cycles were ovulatory; day of ovulation was identified for nine cycles. A ten-fold increase in progesterone was associated with a 23% increase in CRP (P = 0.01), a ten-fold increase in estrogen was associated with a 29% decrease in CRP (P = 0.05), and menses was associated with a 17% increase in CRP (P = 0.18); no association between ovulation or FSH and CRP was found. Hormone changes across the menstrual cycle should be controlled for in future studies of inflammation in reproductive-age women. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Received: 16 July 2007; Accepted: 29 November 2007

Melissa75 · May 20, 2009

This seems to explain why our (the ladies) lungs often feel extra cruddy at predictable points in our menstrual cycles.

CRP is a measure of inflammation.

Research Article
C-reactive protein across the menstrual cycle
Katherine Wander 1 *, Eleanor Brindle 2, Kathleen A. O'Connor 1 2
1Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
2Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
email: Katherine Wander (kwander@u.washington.edu)

*Correspondence to Katherine Wander, Department of Anthropology, Box 353100, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA

Funded by:
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Grant Number: R24D042828

Keywords
inflammation . estrogen . progesterone . biomarker

Abstract
C-reactive protein (CRP) is a widely used, sensitive biomarker of inflammation. Studies conducted among users of exogenous hormones suggest that estrogen increases CRP, whereas progesterone decreases CRP. Examinations of CRP in normally cycling women suggest the opposite: CRP is negatively associated with endogenous estrogen and positively associated with endogenous progesterone. This work evaluates the association between menstrual cycle-related hormone changes and events (menstruation and ovulation) and CRP. Eight female subjects gave urine and blood samples from twelve days across the menstrual cycle, for a total of eleven cycles. Blood samples were assayed for CRP; urine samples for -follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), pregnanediol 3-glucuronide (PDG), and estrone glucuronide (E1G). Ovulation day was estimated using hormone levels. Presence or absence of menses was reported by subjects. Analyses were conducted with random-effects linear regression. All cycles were ovulatory; day of ovulation was identified for nine cycles. A ten-fold increase in progesterone was associated with a 23% increase in CRP (P = 0.01), a ten-fold increase in estrogen was associated with a 29% decrease in CRP (P = 0.05), and menses was associated with a 17% increase in CRP (P = 0.18); no association between ovulation or FSH and CRP was found. Hormone changes across the menstrual cycle should be controlled for in future studies of inflammation in reproductive-age women. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Received: 16 July 2007; Accepted: 29 November 2007

Melissa75 · May 20, 2009

This seems to explain why our (the ladies) lungs often feel extra cruddy at predictable points in our menstrual cycles.

CRP is a measure of inflammation.

Research Article
C-reactive protein across the menstrual cycle
Katherine Wander 1 *, Eleanor Brindle 2, Kathleen A. O'Connor 1 2
1Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
2Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
email: Katherine Wander (kwander@u.washington.edu)

*Correspondence to Katherine Wander, Department of Anthropology, Box 353100, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA

Funded by:
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Grant Number: R24D042828

Keywords
inflammation . estrogen . progesterone . biomarker

Abstract
C-reactive protein (CRP) is a widely used, sensitive biomarker of inflammation. Studies conducted among users of exogenous hormones suggest that estrogen increases CRP, whereas progesterone decreases CRP. Examinations of CRP in normally cycling women suggest the opposite: CRP is negatively associated with endogenous estrogen and positively associated with endogenous progesterone. This work evaluates the association between menstrual cycle-related hormone changes and events (menstruation and ovulation) and CRP. Eight female subjects gave urine and blood samples from twelve days across the menstrual cycle, for a total of eleven cycles. Blood samples were assayed for CRP; urine samples for -follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), pregnanediol 3-glucuronide (PDG), and estrone glucuronide (E1G). Ovulation day was estimated using hormone levels. Presence or absence of menses was reported by subjects. Analyses were conducted with random-effects linear regression. All cycles were ovulatory; day of ovulation was identified for nine cycles. A ten-fold increase in progesterone was associated with a 23% increase in CRP (P = 0.01), a ten-fold increase in estrogen was associated with a 29% decrease in CRP (P = 0.05), and menses was associated with a 17% increase in CRP (P = 0.18); no association between ovulation or FSH and CRP was found. Hormone changes across the menstrual cycle should be controlled for in future studies of inflammation in reproductive-age women. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Received: 16 July 2007; Accepted: 29 November 2007

Melissa75 · May 20, 2009

This seems to explain why our (the ladies) lungs often feel extra cruddy at predictable points in our menstrual cycles.

CRP is a measure of inflammation.

Research Article
C-reactive protein across the menstrual cycle
Katherine Wander 1 *, Eleanor Brindle 2, Kathleen A. O'Connor 1 2
1Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
2Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
email: Katherine Wander (kwander@u.washington.edu)

*Correspondence to Katherine Wander, Department of Anthropology, Box 353100, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA

Funded by:
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Grant Number: R24D042828

Keywords
inflammation . estrogen . progesterone . biomarker

Abstract
C-reactive protein (CRP) is a widely used, sensitive biomarker of inflammation. Studies conducted among users of exogenous hormones suggest that estrogen increases CRP, whereas progesterone decreases CRP. Examinations of CRP in normally cycling women suggest the opposite: CRP is negatively associated with endogenous estrogen and positively associated with endogenous progesterone. This work evaluates the association between menstrual cycle-related hormone changes and events (menstruation and ovulation) and CRP. Eight female subjects gave urine and blood samples from twelve days across the menstrual cycle, for a total of eleven cycles. Blood samples were assayed for CRP; urine samples for -follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), pregnanediol 3-glucuronide (PDG), and estrone glucuronide (E1G). Ovulation day was estimated using hormone levels. Presence or absence of menses was reported by subjects. Analyses were conducted with random-effects linear regression. All cycles were ovulatory; day of ovulation was identified for nine cycles. A ten-fold increase in progesterone was associated with a 23% increase in CRP (P = 0.01), a ten-fold increase in estrogen was associated with a 29% decrease in CRP (P = 0.05), and menses was associated with a 17% increase in CRP (P = 0.18); no association between ovulation or FSH and CRP was found. Hormone changes across the menstrual cycle should be controlled for in future studies of inflammation in reproductive-age women. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Received: 16 July 2007; Accepted: 29 November 2007

Melissa75 · May 20, 2009

This seems to explain why our (the ladies) lungs often feel extra cruddy at predictable points in our menstrual cycles.
 
 CRP is a measure of inflammation.
 
 Research Article
 C-reactive protein across the menstrual cycle
 Katherine Wander 1 *, Eleanor Brindle 2, Kathleen A. O'Connor 1 2
 1Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
 2Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
 email: Katherine Wander (kwander@u.washington.edu)
 
 *Correspondence to Katherine Wander, Department of Anthropology, Box 353100, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
 
 Funded by:
 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Grant Number: R24D042828
 
 Keywords
 inflammation . estrogen . progesterone . biomarker
 
 Abstract
 C-reactive protein (CRP) is a widely used, sensitive biomarker of inflammation. Studies conducted among users of exogenous hormones suggest that estrogen increases CRP, whereas progesterone decreases CRP. Examinations of CRP in normally cycling women suggest the opposite: CRP is negatively associated with endogenous estrogen and positively associated with endogenous progesterone. This work evaluates the association between menstrual cycle-related hormone changes and events (menstruation and ovulation) and CRP. Eight female subjects gave urine and blood samples from twelve days across the menstrual cycle, for a total of eleven cycles. Blood samples were assayed for CRP; urine samples for -follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), pregnanediol 3-glucuronide (PDG), and estrone glucuronide (E1G). Ovulation day was estimated using hormone levels. Presence or absence of menses was reported by subjects. Analyses were conducted with random-effects linear regression. All cycles were ovulatory; day of ovulation was identified for nine cycles. A ten-fold increase in progesterone was associated with a 23% increase in CRP (P = 0.01), a ten-fold increase in estrogen was associated with a 29% decrease in CRP (P = 0.05), and menses was associated with a 17% increase in CRP (P = 0.18); no association between ovulation or FSH and CRP was found. Hormone changes across the menstrual cycle should be controlled for in future studies of inflammation in reproductive-age women. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
 Received: 16 July 2007; Accepted: 29 November 2007

mom2lillian · May 22, 2009

THANK YOU for posting this, this rocks! I just had my CRP level checked last month and it was high but not indicative of infection high so I thought for a cf'er that was probably pretty good. My goal was to track what it does over time to see if there are any links for me.

That being said I did IVF when I got to the point in my cycle where my estrogen was skrocketing I had a bleed, I had just got off IV's, was extremely clear with excellent PFT's. I knew I wasnt sick and didnt have a 'little bit' of infection somewhere like my doctors normal assumption was. Then the cycle was successful and I got pregnant and I never once during pregnancy or 1.5years of BF got a bleed (progesterone is high during these times.

This time doing a frozen transfer we made sure my estrogen would not go sky high and I have not bled though I do feel a bit tight inflammation wise and guess what I am on an estrogen supplement (low dose) for 5 days now. I pre-emtively went to the doctors and got checked out, everything is great so we made game plan that this time we will 'know' its from the hormones if I do have a small bleed.

This sentence totally hits what I have noted in my own body on the head: estrogen increases CRP, whereas progesterone decreases CRP. ie decreased CRP means decreased inflammation means happier/healthier lungs. Eureka!

mom2lillian · May 22, 2009

THANK YOU for posting this, this rocks! I just had my CRP level checked last month and it was high but not indicative of infection high so I thought for a cf'er that was probably pretty good. My goal was to track what it does over time to see if there are any links for me.

That being said I did IVF when I got to the point in my cycle where my estrogen was skrocketing I had a bleed, I had just got off IV's, was extremely clear with excellent PFT's. I knew I wasnt sick and didnt have a 'little bit' of infection somewhere like my doctors normal assumption was. Then the cycle was successful and I got pregnant and I never once during pregnancy or 1.5years of BF got a bleed (progesterone is high during these times.

This time doing a frozen transfer we made sure my estrogen would not go sky high and I have not bled though I do feel a bit tight inflammation wise and guess what I am on an estrogen supplement (low dose) for 5 days now. I pre-emtively went to the doctors and got checked out, everything is great so we made game plan that this time we will 'know' its from the hormones if I do have a small bleed.

This sentence totally hits what I have noted in my own body on the head: estrogen increases CRP, whereas progesterone decreases CRP. ie decreased CRP means decreased inflammation means happier/healthier lungs. Eureka!

mom2lillian · May 22, 2009

THANK YOU for posting this, this rocks! I just had my CRP level checked last month and it was high but not indicative of infection high so I thought for a cf'er that was probably pretty good. My goal was to track what it does over time to see if there are any links for me.

That being said I did IVF when I got to the point in my cycle where my estrogen was skrocketing I had a bleed, I had just got off IV's, was extremely clear with excellent PFT's. I knew I wasnt sick and didnt have a 'little bit' of infection somewhere like my doctors normal assumption was. Then the cycle was successful and I got pregnant and I never once during pregnancy or 1.5years of BF got a bleed (progesterone is high during these times.

This time doing a frozen transfer we made sure my estrogen would not go sky high and I have not bled though I do feel a bit tight inflammation wise and guess what I am on an estrogen supplement (low dose) for 5 days now. I pre-emtively went to the doctors and got checked out, everything is great so we made game plan that this time we will 'know' its from the hormones if I do have a small bleed.

This sentence totally hits what I have noted in my own body on the head: estrogen increases CRP, whereas progesterone decreases CRP. ie decreased CRP means decreased inflammation means happier/healthier lungs. Eureka!

mom2lillian · May 22, 2009

THANK YOU for posting this, this rocks! I just had my CRP level checked last month and it was high but not indicative of infection high so I thought for a cf'er that was probably pretty good. My goal was to track what it does over time to see if there are any links for me.

That being said I did IVF when I got to the point in my cycle where my estrogen was skrocketing I had a bleed, I had just got off IV's, was extremely clear with excellent PFT's. I knew I wasnt sick and didnt have a 'little bit' of infection somewhere like my doctors normal assumption was. Then the cycle was successful and I got pregnant and I never once during pregnancy or 1.5years of BF got a bleed (progesterone is high during these times.

This time doing a frozen transfer we made sure my estrogen would not go sky high and I have not bled though I do feel a bit tight inflammation wise and guess what I am on an estrogen supplement (low dose) for 5 days now. I pre-emtively went to the doctors and got checked out, everything is great so we made game plan that this time we will 'know' its from the hormones if I do have a small bleed.

This sentence totally hits what I have noted in my own body on the head: estrogen increases CRP, whereas progesterone decreases CRP. ie decreased CRP means decreased inflammation means happier/healthier lungs. Eureka!

mom2lillian · May 22, 2009

THANK YOU for posting this, this rocks! I just had my CRP level checked last month and it was high but not indicative of infection high so I thought for a cf'er that was probably pretty good. My goal was to track what it does over time to see if there are any links for me.
 
 That being said I did IVF when I got to the point in my cycle where my estrogen was skrocketing I had a bleed, I had just got off IV's, was extremely clear with excellent PFT's. I knew I wasnt sick and didnt have a 'little bit' of infection somewhere like my doctors normal assumption was. Then the cycle was successful and I got pregnant and I never once during pregnancy or 1.5years of BF got a bleed (progesterone is high during these times.
 
 This time doing a frozen transfer we made sure my estrogen would not go sky high and I have not bled though I do feel a bit tight inflammation wise and guess what I am on an estrogen supplement (low dose) for 5 days now. I pre-emtively went to the doctors and got checked out, everything is great so we made game plan that this time we will 'know' its from the hormones if I do have a small bleed.
 
 This sentence totally hits what I have noted in my own body on the head: estrogen increases CRP, whereas progesterone decreases CRP. ie decreased CRP means decreased inflammation means happier/healthier lungs. Eureka!

Skye · May 22, 2009

Wow....I have been noting the connection with cycle, bleeds, tightness, PFT change for a long time. I did find some articles regarding this about a year ago. I posted them in a blog.

My center tends to put CF women on Progesterone only for birth control due to fear of blood clots. I am wondering if I should request to be put on this?? How risky is being on Progesterone. I would really like to be on BC again....it makes sex so much easier<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> and if it helps my lungs too, that would be awesome.

Skye · May 22, 2009

Wow....I have been noting the connection with cycle, bleeds, tightness, PFT change for a long time. I did find some articles regarding this about a year ago. I posted them in a blog.

My center tends to put CF women on Progesterone only for birth control due to fear of blood clots. I am wondering if I should request to be put on this?? How risky is being on Progesterone. I would really like to be on BC again....it makes sex so much easier<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> and if it helps my lungs too, that would be awesome.

Skye · May 22, 2009

Wow....I have been noting the connection with cycle, bleeds, tightness, PFT change for a long time. I did find some articles regarding this about a year ago. I posted them in a blog.

My center tends to put CF women on Progesterone only for birth control due to fear of blood clots. I am wondering if I should request to be put on this?? How risky is being on Progesterone. I would really like to be on BC again....it makes sex so much easier<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> and if it helps my lungs too, that would be awesome.

Skye · May 22, 2009

Wow....I have been noting the connection with cycle, bleeds, tightness, PFT change for a long time. I did find some articles regarding this about a year ago. I posted them in a blog.

My center tends to put CF women on Progesterone only for birth control due to fear of blood clots. I am wondering if I should request to be put on this?? How risky is being on Progesterone. I would really like to be on BC again....it makes sex so much easier<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> and if it helps my lungs too, that would be awesome.

Skye · May 22, 2009

Wow....I have been noting the connection with cycle, bleeds, tightness, PFT change for a long time. I did find some articles regarding this about a year ago. I posted them in a blog.
 
 My center tends to put CF women on Progesterone only for birth control due to fear of blood clots. I am wondering if I should request to be put on this?? How risky is being on Progesterone. I would really like to be on BC again....it makes sex so much easier<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> and if it helps my lungs too, that would be awesome.

mom2lillian · May 23, 2009