SHBG, sex hormones, and inflammatory markers in older women.
BACKGROUND
In premenopausal and older women, high testosterone and estradiol (E2) and low SHBG levels are associated with insulin resistance and diabetes, conditions characterized by low-grade inflammation.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between SHBG, total testosterone, total E2, and inflammatory markers in older women.


METHODS
We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study of 433 women at least 65 yr old from the InCHIANTI Study, Italy, who were not on hormone replacement therapy or recently hospitalized and who had complete data on SHBG, testosterone, E2, C-reactive protein (CRP), IL-6, soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6r), and TNF-α. Relationships between sex hormones and inflammatory markers were examined by multivariate linear regression analyses adjusted for age, body mass index, smoking, insulin, physical activity, and chronic disease.


RESULTS
In fully adjusted analyses, SHBG was negatively associated with CRP (P = 0.007), IL-6 (P = 0.008), and sIL-6r (P = 0.02). In addition, testosterone was positively associated with CRP (P = 0.006), IL-6 (P = 0.001), and TNF-α (P = 0.0002). The negative relationship between testosterone and sIL-6r in an age-adjusted model (P = 0.02) was no longer significant in a fully adjusted model (P = 0.12). E2 was positively associated with CRP (P = 0.002) but not with IL-6 in fully adjusted models. In a final model including E2, testosterone, and SHBG, and all the confounders previously considered, SHBG (0.23 ± 0.08; P = 0.006) and E2 (0.21 ± 0.08; P = 0.007), but not testosterone (P = 0.21), were still significantly associated with CRP.


CONCLUSIONS
In late postmenopausal women not on hormone replacement therapy, SHBG and E2 are, respectively, negative and positive, independent and significant correlates of a proinflammatory state.
Department of Internal Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Section of Geriatrics, University of Parma, 43100 Parma, Italy. marcellomaggio2001@yahoo.it
Marcello
M
Maggio
Gian Paolo
GP
Ceda
Fulvio
F
Lauretani
Stefania
S
Bandinelli
Anna Maria
AM
Corsi
Francesco
F
Giallauria
Jack M
JM
Guralnik
Giovanni
G
Zuliani
Chiara
C
Cattabiani
Stefano
S
Parrino
Fabrizio
F
Ablondi
Elisabetta
E
Dall'aglio
Graziano
G
Ceresini
Shehzad
S
Basaria
Luigi
L
Ferrucci
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
D015415:Biomarkers; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
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