title: Mental wellbeing and quality of sexual life in women with primary Sjögren's syndrome are related to circulating dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the possible effect of androgen status on sexuality and mental wellbeing in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S), testosterone (T), androstenedione, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and the SHBG/T ratio were measured in 21 women with pSS. Sexual life was assessed by a Swedish version of the McCoy scale, which covers sexual experience and responsiveness during the past 30 days. A standardised questionnaire, the Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWB), was used to examine quality of life and psychological symptoms in patients with pSS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive correlations were found between DHEA-S serum levels and the total McCoy score (r(s)=0.62; p<0.01), as well as the subscales of this score reflecting arousal (0.59; p<0.05), desire (r(s)=0.52; p<0.05), and satisfaction (r(s)=0.66; p<0.01). Serum DHEA-S concentrations were also related to the total PGWB score (r(s)=0.60; p<0.01) and subscales of this score: depression (r(s)=0.62; p<0.01), wellbeing (r(s)=0.64; p<0.01), general health (r(s)=0.67; p<0.01), and self control (r(s)=0.67; p<0.01). Total McCoy and PGWB scores and their subscales were not related to the serum levels of testosterone and androstenedione or the T/SHBG ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circulating levels of the weak androgen DHEA-S are positively related to the quality of sexual life and mental wellbeing in women with pSS.
authors.affiliation: Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. sigridur.valtysdottir@medsci.uu.se
authors.forename: S Th
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Valtysdottir
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wide
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hallgren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate