Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone (α-MSH)

Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone (α-MSH) is a clinical biomarker on the Inflammation panel, reported in pg/mL. Standard reference range: 35–81 pg/mL. Functional (optimal) range used by integrative practitioners: 60–81 pg/mL.

What is Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone (α-MSH)?

Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is a 13-amino acid peptide cleaved from POMC (proopiomelanocortin) in the pituitary and arcuate-nucleus hypothalamic neurons; it has anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, melanocortin (MC1R–MC5R), and central hypothalamic regulatory roles. MSH is the primary downstream marker of hypothalamic regulatory failure in CIRS: approximately 95% of confirmed CIRS patients have MSH below 35 pg/mL. All downstream MSH-regulated systems — sleep, pain modulation, mucosal immunity, ADH/osmolality, leptin counter-regulation, and the hypothalamic brake on TGF-β1 — deteriorate when MSH is deficient, creating a self-amplifying inflammatory cascade. MARCoNS (multiply antibiotic-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci) colonizing the deep nasal passages, found in ~80% of CIRS patients with low MSH, produce hemolysins that further cleave MSH; MSH will not recover while MARCoNS persists.

Reference ranges

How SomaVue interprets Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone (α-MSH)

SomaVue maps every result for Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone (α-MSH) against four clinical lenses — nutrient cofactors, toxin exposure, infection drivers, and circadian/hormonal context — and connects each interpretation to specific peer-reviewed citations. Pre-mapped clinical reasoning and cross-marker pattern detection are available inside the practitioner workspace.

Educational reference only. Reference ranges vary by laboratory, assay method, age, sex, and clinical context. Functional ranges represent integrative-medicine consensus and are not regulatory thresholds. SomaVue does not diagnose, treat, mitigate, or prevent disease. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider.