title: [Sex hormones in female patients with systemic lupus erythematosus].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the levels of sex hormones in female patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and its role in the genesis of SLE.
  
  
  METHODS
  The serum levels of estradiol, estriol, testosterone, progesterone, and prolactin were determined by electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay in 98 female patients with SLE and compared with those of 38 healthy women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum levels of estradiol, estriol, progesterone, and prolactin were significantly higher than those in the healthy women (P <0.05). The serum levels of estradiol, progesterone, and prolactin in patients with SLE in 25 to 34 year old group were higher than the other age groups and the control group (P < 0.05), and the serum levels of estradiol and prolactin in patients with active phase of SLE were significantly higher than those in patients with stable phase of SLE (P <0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The levels of sex hormones have a close corretation with the genesis and development of SLE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory , Second Xiangya Hospital , Central South University , Changsha 410011, China.
authors.forename: Jiao-Fu
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yong-He
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chuan-Xing
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D004964:Estriol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D011388:Prolactin; D004964:Estriol