Interrelationship between the immunological and steroid hormone parameters in rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

In the present work the correlation between the immunological parameters and plasma androgen hormone levels in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was examined. Female patients were divided in groups according to their age and immunologic state. Plasma dehydroepiandrosterone (D), D sulphate (DS), and testosterone (T) levels were determined by radioimmunological methods. The values were related first to those of normal controls. The T and DS levels were significantly decreased in all patient groups examined, the D level was low only in "Rf+ active" state aged 18 to 45 years. Furthermore, it was examined whether the decreased hormone levels were in relationship either with the autoantibody (Rf) formation or with the activity of the disease. According to the observations the T levels were influenced neither by the autoantibody formation nor by the activity of the disease. The DS and D levels appeared to correlate both with the autoantibody formation and the activity of the disease, particularly in young patients, being significantly low in the "Rf+ active" state. From these we concluded that the condition of the immune system has an influence on the sex hormone and/or adrenal androgen function.