title: Nandrolone decanoate (deca-durabolin) in primary Sjögren's syndrome: a double blind pilot study.
abstract: The efficacy and side-effects of Deca-Durabolin (DD) were tested, in a double blind fashion, in twenty female primary Sjögren's syndrome (1 degree SS) patients. Ten randomly assigned patients received DD (100 mg IM bi-weekly) for six months, and ten others placebo, for the same period. Analysis of the results revealed that the DD-treated patients showed a moderate improvement of subjective xerostomia, a significant decrease of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and an overall improvement of their feeling of well-being, -judged by themselves and the investigator subjectively-, when compared with the placebo group. All the sicca objective parameters (results of Schirmer's I test, slit lamp eye examination after rose bengal staining, stimulated parotid flow rate measurements and labial minor salivary gland histopathology) were not significantly altered in either group. The clinical side-effects were the expected ones, i.e. hirsutism, hoarseness and an increase in libido, more pronounced in the DD-treated group. At the end of the study, one DD-treated patient, developed a diffuse well-differentiated B-lymphocytic lymphoma, which regressed spontaneously three months later.
authors.affiliation: University of Ioannina, School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Greece.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Drosos
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Vliet-Dascalopoulou
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Andonopoulos
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Galanopoulou
authors.forename: F N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Skopouli
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Moutsopoulos
mesh_terms: D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006628:Hirsutism / Q000139:chemically induced; D006685:Hoarseness / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D007989:Libido / Q000187:drug effects; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009277:Nandrolone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077603:Nandrolone Decanoate; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000473:pathology; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D009277:Nandrolone; D000077603:Nandrolone Decanoate