Pregnancy Hormone Estriol May Help MS
For many years, the medical community has observed
that a woman’s MS may be less severe during
pregnancy. A pregnancy hormone named estriol is produced
by the placenta and may cause this remission in symptoms.
The immune system normally works by recognizing
foreign bodies and destroying them to protect itself
from disease. MS is thought to occur when the immune
system becomes overactive and destroys the body’s
own myelin (the protective covering on nerves) as
well as the nerves themselves. Researchers believe
that estriol may control the immune system so that
it does not attack the fetus. In animal models of
MS, estriol can ameliorate a model of MS disease
and cause a shift in immune system reactions.
A recent study found that six women with relapsing-remitting
MS showed improvements in symptoms, along with a
significant decrease in enhancing lesions as shown
on MRI, when taking estriol over a six-month period.
These same women experienced a worsening when the
treatment was stopped for another six-month period.
When treated a second time at the end of the study,
improvement returned. Improvement was not observed
at any time in four women with secondary-progressive
MS, suggesting that this treatment may only be effective
for women in earlier stages of the disease. Its effect
on men is not known.
The estriol was given orally in pill form and caused
no major side effect other than menstrual irregularities.
The male hormone progesterone was given with the
estriol to counter its possible increased risk of
uterine cancer. Larger, placebo-controlled studies
are needed to determine estriol’s long-term
safety and efficacy. Estriol may also have the potential
to similarly affect other autoimmune diseases that
respond favorably during pregnancy.
Sources for this article include:
Reuters Health (by Jacqueline Stenson, September
25, 2002)
Sicotte, et al, Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis
with the Pregnancy Hormone Estriol, Annals of Neurology,
vol. 52, pp. 421-428, 2002.
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