Correlation between testosterone and the inflammatory marker soluble interleukin-6 receptor in older men.
BACKGROUND
An age-associated decline in testosterone (T) levels and an increase in proinflammatory cytokines contribute to chronic diseases in older men. Whether and how these changes are related is unclear.


OBJECTIVE
We hypothesized that T and inflammatory markers are negatively correlated in older men.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study.


METHODS
A population-based sample of older men was studied.


METHODS
After excluding participants taking glucocorticoids or antibiotics or those with recent hospitalization, 467 men, aged 65 yr or older, had complete determinations of total T, bioavailable T, SHBG, albumin, IL-6, soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6r), TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and C-reactive protein.


RESULTS
After adjusting for potential confounders, sIL-6r was significantly and inversely correlated with total T (r = -0.20; P < 0.001) and bioavailable T (r = -0.12; P < 0.05). T was not correlated with any other inflammatory marker.


CONCLUSIONS
These preliminary findings suggest an inverse relationship between T and sIL-6r. Longitudinal studies are needed to establish the causality of this association.
Maggio
Marcello
M
Longitudinal Studies Section, Clinical Research Branch, National Institute on Aging, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21225, USA.
Basaria
Shehzad
S
Ble
Alessandro
A
Lauretani
Fulvio
F
Bandinelli
Stefania
S
Ceda
Gian Paolo
GP
Valenti
Giorgio
G
Ling
Shari M
SM
Ferrucci
Luigi
L
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D013739:Testosterone; D002097:C-Reactive Protein