Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42447435›Full record

Observational studyAPMIS : acta pathologica, microbiologica, et immunologica Scandinavica2026

Effect of Hormonal Contraceptives on Circulating Biomarkers of Inflammation, Chemotaxis, Angiogenesis, and Vascular Stress.

Bertram Kjerulff, Khoa Manh Dinh, Jens Kjærgaard Boldsen, Ulrik Schiøler Kesmodel, Joseph Dowsett, Susan Mikkelsen, Lisette J A Kogelman, Maria Didriksen, Christina Mikkelsen, Jakob Bay and 8 more

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in APMIS : acta pathologica, microbiologica, et immunologica Scandinavica, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Bertram KjerulffDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9953-9521
Khoa Manh DinhDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1881-5673
Jens Kjærgaard BoldsenDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8139-1642
Ulrik Schiøler KesmodelDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3868-106X
Joseph DowsettDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5381-2633
Susan MikkelsenDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7806-1143
Lisette J A KogelmanDepartment of Health Science and Technology, Genomic Medicine Group, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9782-7810
Maria DidriksenDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4856-496X
Christina MikkelsenDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2945-6197
Jakob BayDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1159-4003
Mie Topholm BruunDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8819-5388
Bitten AagaardDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8306-1332
Mette NyegaardDepartment of Health Science and Technology, Genomic Medicine Group, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4973-8543
Klaus RostgaardDepartment of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6220-9414
Erik SørensenDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5002-9077
Ole Birger PedersenDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2312-5976
Sisse Rye OstrowskiDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5288-3851
Christian ErikstrupDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6551-6647

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Hormonal contraceptive (HC) use is known to be associated with elevated CRP levels. However, evidence on the effect of HC on several circulating inflammatory biomarkers in healthy humans is limited. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hormonal contraceptives and circulating biomarker levels and differential cell counts. A cross-sectional observational study design with biomarker measurements from 4,160 healthy females was used, coupled with registered HC prescriptions. We compared 752 high and low dose combined oral contraceptive (COC) users, 77 progestin-only pill users, 417 levonorgestrel intrauterine device users, 65 hormonal therapy users, and 1,523 post-menopausal women with a control group of 1,326 women below 50 years. Repeated differential cell counts from a different dataset of 16,231 females were analyzed for the effects of HC. Data were analyzed using various regression models. COC use was associated with higher vascular marker levels but lower chemokine levels. We found no association with progestin-only use. The association with differential cell counts was limited for most HC types. This study emphasizes the widespread impact of HC on the immune and vascular systems and how the impact may differ between HC types. The biomarker associations found could be targets for elucidation in functional studies.

Indexed as

AngiogenesisBiomarkersContraceptives, Oral, HormonalInflammationAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMiddle AgedYoung AdultBiomarkersContraceptives, Oral, Hormonal

Identifiers

PMID42447435
PMCPMC13368256

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.