Hormonal dysregulation in COVID-19: A comparative analysis of cortisol, growth hormone, and IGF-1 levels across different severities of illness.
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, School of Medical Sciences, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
- 2Department of Microbiology, School of Medical Sciences, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
- 3Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
- 4Department of Biostatistics, School of Medical Sciences, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
- 5Infectious Diseases Research Center, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
- 6Department of Infectious Disease, School of Medical Sciences, Valiasr Hospital, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
Abstract
Background
COVID-19 has multiple effects on the endocrine system, particularly altering the levels of growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and cortisol, which may influence disease severity and prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate circulating levels of GH, IGF-1, and cortisol in COVID-19 patients categorized by disease severity, including outpatients, inpatients, and intensive care unit (ICU) patients.Methods
A total of 118 confirmed COVID-19 patients were divided into three groups: outpatients, inpatients, and ICU patients. Serum levels of GH, IGF-1, and cortisol were measured using ELISA and statistically compared across groups. Correlations among these hormones were also analyzed.Results
Cortisol levels were highest in inpatients, intermediate in ICU patients, and lowest in outpatients. GH levels were reduced in ICU patients compared to other groups, with no difference between inpatients and outpatients. IGF-1 levels were highest in outpatients, followed by inpatients, and lowest in ICU patients. A significant inverse correlation between cortisol and IGF-1 was observed only in ICU patients (p = 0.013).Conclusion
COVID-19 severity is associated with dysregulation of GH, IGF-1, and cortisol. The inverse cortisol-IGF-1 correlation in ICU patients suggests the impact of physiological stress on hormonal imbalance and impaired recovery. Endocrine interventions may improve clinical outcomes in severe cases.
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BibTeX
@article{hosseinzadeh2026hormonal,
title = {{Hormonal dysregulation in COVID-19: A comparative analysis of cortisol, growth hormone, and IGF-1 levels across different severities of illness.}},
author = {Mohammad Hosseinzadeh and Mohammad Milad Shirvandehi and Navid Sehat and Azam Moslemi and Ehsanollah Ghaznavi-Rad and Behzad Khansarinejad and Hosein Sarmadian and Mohammad Rezvanfar and Farideh Jalali Mashayekhi},
journal = {Caspian journal of internal medicine},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.22088/cjim.17.3.671},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42924283},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Hormonal dysregulation in COVID-19: A comparative analysis of cortisol, growth hormone, and IGF-1 levels across different severities of illness.
AU - Mohammad Hosseinzadeh
AU - Mohammad Milad Shirvandehi
AU - Navid Sehat
AU - Azam Moslemi
AU - Ehsanollah Ghaznavi-Rad
AU - Behzad Khansarinejad
AU - Hosein Sarmadian
AU - Mohammad Rezvanfar
AU - Farideh Jalali Mashayekhi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/01
JO - Caspian journal of internal medicine
DO - 10.22088/cjim.17.3.671
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42924283
AB - Background COVID-19 has multiple effects on the endocrine system, particularly altering the levels of growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and cortisol, which may influence disease severity and prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate circulating levels of GH, IGF-1, and cortisol in COVID-19 patients categorized by disease severity, including outpatients, inpatients, and intensive care unit (ICU) patients.Methods A total of 118 confirmed COVID-19 patients were divided into three groups: outpatients, inpatients, and ICU patients. Serum levels of GH, IGF-1, and cortisol were measured using ELISA and statistically compared across groups. Correlations among these hormones were also analyzed.Results Cortisol levels were highest in inpatients, intermediate in ICU patients, and lowest in outpatients. GH levels were reduced in ICU patients compared to other groups, with no difference between inpatients and outpatients. IGF-1 levels were highest in outpatients, followed by inpatients, and lowest in ICU patients. A significant inverse correlation between cortisol and IGF-1 was observed only in ICU patients (p = 0.013).Conclusion COVID-19 severity is associated with dysregulation of GH, IGF-1, and cortisol. The inverse cortisol-IGF-1 correlation in ICU patients suggests the impact of physiological stress on hormonal imbalance and impaired recovery. Endocrine interventions may improve clinical outcomes in severe cases.
SN - 2008-6164
SN - 2008-6172
ER -