RESEARCH - Serum androgen-anabolic hormones and the risk of RA

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Ann Rheum Dis. 1998 May;57(5):281-5.

Serum androgen-anabolic hormones and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

Heikkila R, Aho K, Heliovaara M, Knekt P, Reunanen A, Aromaa A, Leino A,

Palosuo T.

Kanta-Hame Central Hospital, Hameenlinna, Finland.

OBJECTIVE: It has been hypothesised, mainly on the basis of indirect

evidence, that low serum concentrations of androgen-anabolic hormones

would play a causal part in the aetiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS: A case-control study was nested with a Finnish cohort of 19,072

adults who had neither arthritis nor a history of it at the baseline

examination during 1973-1977. Pre-illness serum specimens for the assay

of testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) were

available from 116 cases who had developed RA by late 1989. Three

controls per each incident case were individually matched for sex, age,

and municipality. RESULTS: The mean testosterone concentration was 1.4

nmol/l in those 84 women who developed RA and 1.4 nmol/l in their

controls; the corresponding figures for DHEAS were 5.2 mumol/l and 5.5

mumol/l, respectively. Mean testosterone concentration in the 32 male

cases was 26.1 nmol/l and 26.4 nmol/l in their controls; the

corresponding figures for DHEAS were 11.2 mumol/l and 10.1 mumol/l,

respectively. Analysis by subgroups (rheumatoid factor positive and

negative disease, pre-menopausal and postmenopausal women) and by

hormone distributions showed no differences.

CONCLUSION: The findings are not in line with the contention that low

concentrations of testosterone and DHEAS play a part in the aetiology of

RA.

PMID: 9741311

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=9\

741311 & dopt=Abstract

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