Sex steroid hormones in primary Sjögren's syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationships between concentrations of sex hormones and measures of disease activity in patients with primary Sjögren's Syndrome (pSS).


METHODS
Fifty-four women were evaluated: 39 patients (age, Q1,Q3: 57.0 yrs; 46, 66) diagnosed with pSS and 15 patients (49.0 yrs; 45, 60) who did not meet diagnostic criteria for pSS. The following measures of disease activity were assessed: serological data [antinuclear antibody, rheumatoid factor, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), serum immunoglobulin levels (IgG, IgA, IgM), serum protein, anti-SSA, and anti-SSB], labial minor salivary gland focus score, salivary flow rates, and objective measures of eye dryness (fluorescein corneal staining and unstimulated Schirmer's I test). Spearman correlations were calculated between these indices of disease activity and serum levels of sex hormones: dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), DHEA sulfate, androstenedione, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), estrone, estradiol, and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG).


RESULTS
Numerous differences were noted between cases and controls with disease activity measures. All median values of sex steroid hormones were within the range of normal for pSS cases. Positive correlations were noted between testosterone and ESR (r = 0.36, p = 0.03), testosterone and serum protein (r = 0.37, p = 0.05), and testosterone and focus score (r = 0.44, p = 0.007). Negative correlations were present between SHBG and anti-SSA (r = -0.33, p = 0.05), SHBG and anti-SSB (r = -0.43, p = 0.009), and DHT and CRP (r = -0.41, p = 0.05). No correlations were noted between estrogens and measures of pSS disease activity.


CONCLUSIONS
Higher levels of disease activity (ESR, serum protein, and focus score) were associated with higher concentrations of testosterone. No correlation between disease activity and estrogens was found.
Brennan
Michael T
MT
Gene Therapy and Therapeutics Branch (GTTB), National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Sankar
Vidya
V
Leakan
Rose Anne
RA
Grisius
Margaret M
MM
Collins
Michael T
MT
Fox
Philip C
PC
Baum
Bruce J
BJ
Pillemer
Stanley R
SR
D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000097:blood; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000097:blood; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D004970:Estrone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000378:metabolism; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D004970:Estrone; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate