Salivary steroids in acute central serous chorioretinopathy

To analyze levels of salivary steroids, including 17-OH-progesterone (17-OHP), androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, cortisol, cortisone, progesterone, testosterone, and estradiol, in patients with acute central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) patients.

Acute CSCR patients and healthy individuals were included in this observational case-control study. Levels of salivary steroids were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry detection. Clinical characteristics of CSCR patients were assessed based on multimodal imaging.

Seventeen CSCR patients (40.1 ± 4.6 years) and fourteen age-matched healthy controls (40.6 ± 3.8 years) were included. Mean central retinal thickness and subfoveal choroidal thickness in affected eye of CSCR patients were 436.2 ± 131.1 µm and 464.6 ± 132.6 µm, respectively. Mean best-corrected visual acuity was 0.09 ± 0.11 LogMAR. Mean symptoms duration before saliva collection was 0.9 ± 0.6 months. 17-OHP was decreased compared to the normal limits established in healthy controls in 10 out of 17 patients (59%), androstenedione in 15 out of 17 patients (88%), dehydroepiandrosterone in 10 out of 17 patients (59%), cortisol in 6 out of 17 patients (35%), cortisone in 12 out of 17 patients (83%), progesterone in 9 out of 17 patients (53%), testosterone in 10 out of 17 patients (59%), and estradiol in 5 out of 17 patients (29%). In total, among CSCR patients lower level in saliva was found for all studied hormones (p < 0.05), except progesterone and estradiol.

Salivary steroids are decreased in acute CSCR male patients compared with age-matched controls. This may indicate inhibition of steroidogenesis caused by chronic stress and personal reactivity preceding manifestation of CSCR.