Relationship between blood and joint tissue DHEAS levels in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

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Clin Exp Rheumatol. 1993 Nov-Dec;11(6):597-601. Related Articles, Links

Relationship between blood and joint tissue DHEAS levels in rheumatoid

arthritis and osteoarthritis.

de la Torre B, Hedman M, Nilsson E, Olesen O, Thorner A.

Department of Stress Research, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.

To assess the relationship between blood and tissue steroid levels,

cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) were measured by

radioimmunoassay (RIA) in blood and joint tissues from a group of patients

with RA (N = 29) ranging in age from 26 to 80 years (mean 63, SD: 13) and

another group with secondary osteoarthritis (OA; N = 23), ranging in age

from 47 to 86 years (mean 66, SD: 9), all of whom were scheduled for

surgical correction of joint dysfunction. Seventeen of the RA patients were

on steroid treatment at the time of the study. Assessing all the patients

together, it was found that the tissue concentrations of DHEAS very closely

paralleled the blood levels (r = 0.875; p < 0.001). The mean blood and

tissue concentrations of DHEAS were found to be significantly reduced in RA,

compared to those in OA (geometric means 540 vs. 2100 nmol/l blood,

respectively, and 160 vs. 420 nmol/kg tissue, p < 0.001). Individual data

indicated, however, that: (a) 3/29 patients with RA exhibited normal levels;

( the reduction was more accentuated in those patients on steroid

treatment; and © 5/23 patients with OA, who were treated for

cardiovascular disorders, also had reduced DHEAS levels. Significant

differences were not found between the mean cortisol levels in RA and those

in OA, nor was there a correlation between the blood and tissue levels of

this steroid. The possible influence of reduced DHEAS levels on

immune-mediated diseases and/or pathophysiology is unknown, and needs to be

investigated.

PMID: 8299250