Serum Androgen-anabolic Hormones and the Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Overview

Journal Ann Rheum Dis

Specialty Rheumatology

Date 1998 Sep 19

PMID 9741311

Citations 12

Authors

R Heikkila

K Aho

M Heliovaara

P Knekt

A Reunanen

A Aromaa

A Leino

T Palosuo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

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.

Citing Articles

Sex steroids and autoimmune rheumatic diseases: state of the art.

Cutolo M, Straub R Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2020; 16(11):628-644.

PMID: 33009519 DOI: 10.1038/s41584-020-0503-4.

Androgen Deprivation Therapy for Prostate Cancer and the Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Klil-Drori A, Santella C, Tascilar K, Yin H, Aprikian A, Azoulay L Drug Saf. 2019; 42(8):1005-1011.

PMID: 31240687 DOI: 10.1007/s40264-019-00847-w.

Androgen-Induced Immunosuppression.

Gubbels Bupp M, Jorgensen T Front Immunol. 2018; 9:794.

PMID: 29755457 PMC: 5932344. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00794.

Contribution of Genetic Factors to Lower DHEAS in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Vernerova L, Mravcova M, Paulikova L, Vlcek M, Marko A, Meskova M Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2017; 38(1):379-383.

PMID: 28712091 PMC: 11481829. DOI: 10.1007/s10571-017-0522-0.

Environmental factors and hormones in the development of rheumatoid arthritis.

Alpizar-Rodriguez D, Finckh A Semin Immunopathol. 2017; 39(4):461-468.

PMID: 28451785 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-017-0624-2.

References

Dai W, Kuller L, LaPorte R, Gutai J, Caggiula A . The epidemiology of plasma testosterone levels in middle-aged men. Am J Epidemiol. 1981; 114(6):804-16. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113251. View

Aho K, Heliovaara M, Knekt P, Reunanen A, Aromaa A, Leino A . Serum immunoglobulins and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1997; 56(6):351-6. PMC: 1752401. DOI: 10.1136/ard.56.6.351. View

Cutolo M, Balleari E, Accardo S, Samanta E, Cimmino M, Giusti M . Preliminary results of serum androgen level testing in men with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1984; 27(8):958-9. DOI: 10.1002/art.1780270821. View

Rotter J, Wong F, Lifrak E, Parker L . A genetic component to the variation of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. Metabolism. 1985; 34(8):731-6. DOI: 10.1016/0026-0495(85)90023-x. View

Couwenbergs C, Knussmann R, Christiansen K . Comparisons of the intra- and inter-individual variability in sex hormone levels of men. Ann Hum Biol. 1986; 13(1):63-72. DOI: 10.1080/03014468600008201. View

FEHER K, Feher T, Meretey K . Interrelationship between the immunological and steroid hormone parameters in rheumatoid arthritis. Exp Clin Endocrinol. 1986; 87(1):38-42. DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1210520. View

Gordon D, Beastall G, Thomson J, Sturrock R . Androgenic status and sexual function in males with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. Q J Med. 1986; 60(231):671-9. View

Meikle A, Bishop D, STRINGHAM J, West D . Quantitating genetic and nongenetic factors that determine plasma sex steroid variation in normal male twins. Metabolism. 1986; 35(12):1090-5. DOI: 10.1016/0026-0495(86)90020-x. View

Cutolo M, Balleari E, Giusti M, Monachesi M, Accardo S . Sex hormone status in women suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. 1986; 13(6):1019-23. View

10.

Spector T, Perry L, Tubb G, Huskisson E . Androgen status of females with RA. Br J Rheumatol. 1987; 26(4):316-8. DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/26.4.316. View

11.

Spector T, Perry L, Tubb G, Silman A, Huskisson E . Low free testosterone levels in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1988; 47(1):65-8. PMC: 1003446. DOI: 10.1136/ard.47.1.65. View

12.

Sambrook P, Eisman J, Champion G, Pocock N . Sex hormone status and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1988; 31(8):973-8. DOI: 10.1002/art.1780310805. View

13.

Cutolo M, Balleari E, Giusti M, Monachesi M, Accardo S . Sex hormone status of male patients with rheumatoid arthritis: evidence of low serum concentrations of testosterone at baseline and after human chorionic gonadotropin stimulation. Arthritis Rheum. 1988; 31(10):1314-7. DOI: 10.1002/art.1780311015. View

14.

Gordon D, Beastall G, Thomson J, Sturrock R . Prolonged hypogonadism in male patients with rheumatoid arthritis during flares in disease activity. Br J Rheumatol. 1988; 27(6):440-4. DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/27.6.440. View

15.

Spector T, Ollier W, Perry L, Silman A, Thompson P, Edwards A . Free and serum testosterone levels in 276 males: a comparative study of rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and healthy controls. Clin Rheumatol. 1989; 8(1):37-41. DOI: 10.1007/BF02031066. View

16.

Ollier W, Spector T, Silman A, Perry L, Ord J, Thomson W . Are certain HLA haplotypes responsible for low testosterone levels in males?. Dis Markers. 1989; 7(3):139-43. View

17.

Arnalich F, Gonzalez Gancedo P, de Miquel E, Gijon Banos J . [Increase in plasma androgens in menopausal women with rheumatoid polyarthritis]. Rev Rhum Mal Osteoartic. 1990; 57(7-8):509-12. View

18.

Kaarela K, Alekberova Z, Lehtinen K, Puolakka K, Koskimies S, Nassonova V . Seronegative rheumatoid arthritis: a clinical study with HLA typing. J Rheumatol. 1990; 17(9):1125-9. View

19.

Nomura A, Kolonel L . Prostate cancer: a current perspective. Epidemiol Rev. 1991; 13:200-27. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.epirev.a036069. View

20.

James W . The hypothesized hormonal control of mammalian sex ratio at birth--a second update. J Theor Biol. 1992; 155(1):121-8. DOI: 10.1016/s0022-5193(05)80552-1. View