Hypothalamic-Pituitary-End-Organ Axes: Hormone Function in Female Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

Classic hypothalamic-pituitary-end-organ feedback loops – the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA), hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroidal axis (HPTA), and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPGA) – are associated with the neuroendocrine and immune systems in major depressive disorder (MDD). Female patients with MDD present with evident neuroendocrine and immunological changes. Glucocorticoid, thyroid hormone, and reproductive steroid levels fluctuate with menstrual cycles, which might lead to glucocorticoid receptor resistance, impairment of triiodothyronine conversion, and sex hormone secretion disorders. In this review, we summarize the independent and interactive functions of these three axes in female MDD patients. The similar molecular structure of steroids implies an interrelationship between the hypothalamic-pituitary-end-organ axes and the competitive inhibitory effects at the receptor level, especially when considering the HPAA and HPGA.