ArticleChronobiology international2016
Sex differences in the circadian profiles of melatonin and cortisol in plasma and urine matrices under constant routine conditions.
Article in Chronobiology international, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04353128 (Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial of the Efficacy of Melatonin in the Prophylaxis of SARS-coronavirus-2 Infection Among High Risk Contacts.), which is not on this map. Cited by 55 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial of the Efficacy of Melatonin in the Prophylaxis of SARS-coronavirus-2 Infection Among High Risk Contacts.
Who cites it
55 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 115 citations in OpenAlex.
- Melatonin-Measurement Methods and the Factors Modifying the Results. A Systematic Review of the Literature.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Pooled it
- Effects of Daily Rhythm-Aligned Training on Skeletal Muscle Adaptation in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2026Trial
- Effects of a violet-excitation light-emitting diode on melatonin secretion and sleepiness: preliminary findings from a randomized controlled trial.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2024Trial
- Timed physical exercise does not influence circadian rhythms and glucose tolerance in rotating night shift workers: The EuRhythDia study.Diabetes & vascular disease researchTrial
- Chrono-immunotherapy in genitourinary oncology: From emerging evidence to clinical translation (Review).Oncology letters · 2026Review
- Plasma Melatonin Levels, Seasonal Variation, and Sleep Quality: A Stratified Analysis of Adults Aged 25-65 Years Using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Actigraphy.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Association Between Geomagnetic Activity and Unsuccessful Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.GeoHealth · 2026Article
- Temporal Dietary Patterns and Frailty in Korean Older Adults: Evening-Skewed and Morning-Evening Eating Patterns Associated with Frailty Risk.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Occupational circadian disruption and brain structure: evidence from normative developmental brain lifespan trajectories.Brain structure & function · 2026Article
- Melatonin as a Guardian of Mitochondria: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential in Neurodegenerative Diseases.Biology · 2026Review
- Health Implications of Shift Work in Airline Pilots and Cabin Crew: A Narrative Review and Pilot Study Findings.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Melatonin Improves Intestinal Barrier Impairment in a Mouse Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder.Biology · 2025Article
- Demonstration of an intrinsic circadian rhythm in bone resorption.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- The Efficacy of Melatonergic Receptor Agonists Used in Clinical Practice in Insomnia Treatment: Melatonin, Tasimelteon, Ramelteon, Agomelatine, and Selected Herbs.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Integrated Multi-Omics Investigation of Gypenosides' Mechanisms in Lowering Hepatic Cholesterol.Biomolecules · 2025Article
- Optimization of Serum and Salivary Cortisol Interpolation for Time-Dependent Modeling Frameworks in Healthy Adult Males.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Impact of Ramadan Fasting on Mental Health, Body Composition, Physical Activity, and Sleep Outcomes Among University Students.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Personalization of Cancer Treatment: Exploring the Role of Chronotherapy in Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Efficacy.Cancers · 2025Review
- Overall survival according to time-of-day of combined immuno-chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer: a propensity score-matched analysis.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Article
- Screen Time and Objectively Measured Sleep of U.S. College Students: A Brief Report.International journal of exercise science · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Conflicting evidence exists as to whether there are differences between males and females in circadian timing. The aim of the current study was to assess whether sex differences are present in the circadian regulation of melatonin and cortisol in plasma and urine matrices during a constant routine protocol. Thirty-two healthy individuals (16 females taking the oral contraceptive pill (OCP)), aged 23.8 ± 3.7 (mean ± SD) years, participated. Blood (hourly) and urine (4-hourly) samples were collected for measurement of plasma melatonin and cortisol, and urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s) and cortisol, respectively. Data from 28 individuals (14 females) showed no significant differences in the timing of plasma and urinary circadian phase markers between sexes. Females, however, exhibited significantly greater levels of plasma melatonin and cortisol than males (AUC melatonin: 937 ± 104 (mean ± SEM) vs. 642 ± 47 pg/ml.h; AUC cortisol: 13581 ± 1313 vs. 7340 ± 368 mmol/L.h). Females also exhibited a significantly higher amplitude rhythm in both hormones (melatonin: 43.8 ± 5.8 vs. 29.9 ± 2.3 pg/ml; cortisol: 241.7 ± 23.1 vs. 161.8 ± 15.9 mmol/L). Males excreted significantly more urinary cortisol than females during the CR (519.5 ± 63.8 vs. 349.2 ± 39.3 mol) but aMT6s levels did not differ between sexes. It was not possible to distinguish whether the elevated plasma melatonin and cortisol levels observed in females resulted from innate sex differences or the OCP affecting the synthetic and metabolic pathways of these hormones. The fact that the sex differences observed in total plasma concentrations for melatonin and cortisol were not reproduced in the urinary markers challenges their use as a proxy for plasma levels in circadian research, especially in OCP users.
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Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.