Diagnostic Value of Concentration Profiles of Glucocorticosteroids and Endocannabinoids in Hair

Abstract

Background: Endogenous corticosteroids and endocannabinoids are both known to be involved in stress adaption and anti-inflammatory and immuneregulatory effects. The application of hair as retrospective specimen for long-term recording of corticosteroids and its association with stress-induced biochemical alterations was intensively examined. Methods:To evaluate the stability and correlation of various parameters of the endocannabinoid and corticosteroid systems, a prospective study was carried out. Hair samples were collected monthly over a pregnancy cycle (sixth week of pregnancy to 9 weeks postpartum). By comparison of hair concentrations in particular segments (ie, grown in the same time span but collected at different times), an examination of analyte stability in hair was achieved. Additionally, the comparison of proximal segments provided on biochemical information that is independent of alteration due to physical instability. The detection limits of a validated procedure using solid-phase extraction cleanup and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry proved to be suitable to identify the endogenous levels of cortisol (limits of detection = 1.6 pg/mg), cortisone (2.1 pg/mg), anandamide (AEA, 0.3 pg/mg), and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (15 pg/mg).Results: Corticosteroid concentrations in corresponding hair segments were found to be reduced with increasing hair age; an average decline of cortisol and cortisone by 50% in 4 months was estimated. Independently, an increase of cortisol and cortisone in proximal segments collected during pregnancy was confirmed, which is assumed to be stress related. Endocannabinoids proved to be by far more stable, as demonstrated by subsequent monthly collection of corresponding segments and there was hardly any washout of AEA detectable. Elevated hair concentrations of AEA and 2-arachidonoylglycerol were detected in the first-second trimester of pregnancy, which corresponds to negative correlations between AEA, cortisol, and cortisone.

Endocannabinoid concentrations in hair are associated with PTSD symptom severity

“…Furthermore, biochemical information provided by proximal hair segment analysis had face validity. Hair glucocorticoids and hair AEA showed negative correlations (Krumbholz et al, 2013), a relationship which has also been described in acutely stressed volunteers during a parabolic flight experiment (Chouker et al, 2010) and is in accordance with previously discussed regulatory effects of endocannabinoids on HPA-axis activation during chronic stress (Hill and McEwen, 2010).…”

“…However, as indicated in the methods and in contrast to a previous study (Krumbholz et al, 2013), we were unable to reliably quantify the classical endocannabinoids 2-AG and AEA in our hair samples. 2-AG and AEA concentrations in hair are extremely low, however, and the limited amount of hair available for analyses due to very short hair lengths of study participants may be one of the reasons why 2-AG and AEA measurements failed in our study.…”

“…Krumbholz et al (2013) demonstrated that endocannabinoids are stable in different hair segments over time. Whereas hair cortisol concentrations declined by 50% over 4 months of hair growth, almost no wash-out effects on AEA, PEA, SEA and OEA levels were detectable.…”

“…In a previous validation study, we observed that endocannabinoids tend to accumulate in hair during pregnancy (Krumbholz et al, 2013) and that this accumulation process can probably be compared to that seen with cortisol (Kirschbaum et al, 2009). The assessment of endocannabinoid concentrations in hair might hence represent a more reliable and stable assessment of the endocannabinoid system (Krumbholz et al, 2013) which could be especially useful for PTSD research.…”

Correlates of cortisol in human hair: implications for epidemiologic studies on health effects of chronic stress

“…HCC has been shown to decrease as one moves distally from the scalp[42, 44, 49, 56–58]. This attenuation in cortisol concentration has been attributed to exposure to water, sunlight and other elements.…”