engleski

Androgens in post-menopausal patients with systemic sclerosis

Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the serum levels of estradiol, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) and androstenedione in post-menopausal systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and to examine the possible correlation with autoantibodies in SSc. Methods. Twenty-seven post-menopausal SSc patients and twenty-seven healthy women were enrolled in the study. Serum levels of estradiol, testosterone, androstenedione and DHEAS were measured in both groups. Serum levels of anticentromeric antibodies (ACA) and DNA topoisomerase I antibodies (anti-Scl 70) were measured only in SSc patients. Results: Serum levels of testosterone (0.80± 0.62 nmol/L v. 1.64±1.02 nmol/l, p<0.001), DHEAs (1.16±1.00 µmol/L v. 2.00±1.08 µmol/L, p=0.008) and androstenedione (3.26±3.08 nmol/L v. 5.79±2.82 nmol/L, p=0.004) were significantly lower in SSc patients compared to controls. There wasn't a significant difference in serum level of estradiol between groups (p=0.250). Serum levels of androstenedione negatively correlated with ACA antibodies (r=-0.434, p=0.024) while a positive correlation was found with the Scl-70 antibodies (r=0.385, p=0.047). Testosterone levels positively correlated with Scl-70 antibodies (r=0.489, p=0.010). Conclusion: Circulating testosterone, androstenedione and DHEAS levels are decreased in post-menopausal patients with SSc compared with healthy post- menopausal women. Our study contributed in recent cognitions on altered hormonal status in SSc patients. Negative correlation between androgen compounds androstendione and ACA support a protective anti- inflammatory role of androgen steroids in SSc. The positive correlation of androgens with Scl70 is confusing and needs further investigations.

systemic sclerosis ; sex hormones

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