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Role of sex hormones in hereditary angioedema

Sex hormones are well known for influencing symptoms of immune mediated conditions. Estrogen can affect cell proliferation and activation. Menses, pregnancy, menopause, and use of oral contraception are known to affect hereditary angioedema (HAE) but it is not yet clear how.

One hypothesis is that estrogen may activate the kallikrein-kinin system, thereby increasing production of bradykinin. Another hypothesis is that estrogen can affect the expression of the FXII gene, which produces the initiating molecule in the bradykinin pathway. Estrogen may also regulate the B2 receptors that bradykinin binds to. While all of these ideas are possible, there have not yet been any definitive findings.

In female patients, onset of HAE often correlates with the start of puberty. Menses, pregnancy and delivery also correlate with flare ups of HAE. Puberty makes HAE attacks more frequent and severe in 56.7% of cases; menses does the same in 35.3%; ovulation, 14%. Use of estroprogestin contraceptives irritate and worsen HAR in 63-80% of HAE women. The first trimester of pregnancy is known to be a difficult time for HAE women, as circulating estrogen is particularly high and many women discontinue maintenance therapy out of safety concerns for the fetus.

In patients with type III HAE in whom a Factor XII mutation has been identified, episodes occur almost exclusively during periods of high estrogen. This initial observation led to type III to be called “estrogen dependent HAE”, but this only refers to a subset of patients and has fallen out of use. Estrogen levels do not affect symptoms in other type III HAE patients (without the Factor XII mutation) and in many acquired angioedema patients.

Female HAE patients of reproductive age, who are not using oral contraceptives, often have polycystic or multifollicular ovaries. Ovulation is a complex multistep process in which two steps are controlled by C1INH.

 

 

References:

Zuraw, B. L., et al. A focused parameter update : Hereditary angioedema, acquired C1 inhibitor deficiency, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor-associated angioedema. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2013; 131(6); 1491-1493e25.

Kaplan AP, et al. Pathogenic mechanisms of bradykinin mediated diseases: dysregulation of an innate inflammation pathway. Adv Immunol 2014; 121:41-89.

Kaplan AP, et al. The plasma bradykinin-forming pathways and its interrelationships with complement. Mol Immunol 2010 Aug; 47(13):2161-9.

Firinu, Davide, et al. Characterization of patients with angioedema without wheals: the importance of F12 gene screening. Clinical Immunology (2015) 157, 239-248.

Ohsawa, Isao, et al. Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of hereditary angioedema: survey data from 94 physicians in Japan. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 114 (2015) 492-498.