Fig. 2

Cortisol: DHEA-S ratios. The figure depicts the ratios estimated between cortisol and DHEA-S serum levels in healthy and pregnant women with severe anxiety. (a) shows the estimated cortisol DHEA-S ratio in the tested groups. The ratio values between the Cortisol and DHEA-S serum levels are expressed as the mean ± SD. The ratio values estimated in both CTRL and ANX groups were 0.24 ± 0.03 and 0.41 ± 0.12, respectively. T-test analysis with Welch’s correction was used to estimate the p-values between estimated ratios among the studied groups. (b) shows the estimated Cortisol: DHEA-S ratio values (described as the mean ± SD) at each of the consecutive gestation week (gwk) periods along the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. The estimated Cortisol: DHEA-S ratios at gwk periods in the CTRL group were: gwk 27–29, 0.71 ± 0.32; gwk 30–32, 0.48 ± 0.23; gwk 33–35, 0.33 ± 0.08; gwk 36–38, 0.37 ± 0.18; gwk 39–41, 0.73 ± 0.28. Similarly, the estimated CORT: DHEA-S ratios at each time-point in the ANX group were: gwk 27–29, 0.33 ± 0.15; gwk 30–32, 0.32 ± 0.19; gwk 33–35, 0.21 ± 0.15; gwk 36–38, 0.29 ± 0.14; gwk 39–41, 0.45 ± 0.18. The mean ± SD values of the gwk time-points (T1-T5) estimated among the tested groups were: T1, 29.0 ± 0.47 gwk; T2, 31.5 ± 0.8 gwk; T3, 34.0. ± 0.8 gwk; T4, 37.4 ± 0.8 gwk; T5, 39.5 ± 0.5 gwk, respectively. Post hoc Tukey test analysis was used to estimate the p-values between CORT: DHEA-S ratios at each time-point among the studied groups. (*) p < 0.05. Comparison between serum levels of steroids were performed through the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. This test showed significant differences in the DHEAS:Cortisol index (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.001) among the studied groups. Significant differences were established at a p < 0.05. Abbreviations: ANX, severe anxiety; CTRL; control; CORT, cortisol; DHEA-S, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate. Data was calculated using GraphPad Prism v.7