title: Sex hormones in allergic conjunctivitis: altered levels of circulating androgens and estrogens in children and adolescents with vernal keratoconjunctivitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a chronic allergic disease mainly affecting boys in prepubertal age and usually recovering after puberty. To evaluate a possible role of sex hormones in VKC, serum levels of sex hormones in children and adolescents with VKC were assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  12 prepubertal and 7 early pubertal boys with active VKC and 6 male patients with VKC in remission phase at late pubertal age and 48 healthy age and sex-matched subjects were included. Serum concentration of estrone, 17 beta-estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate, total testosterone and free testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), cortisol, delta-4-androstenedione, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and sex-hormones binding globuline (SHBG) were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum levels of Estrone were significantly increased in all groups of patients with VKC when compared to healthy controls (P < 0.001). Prepubertal and early pubertal VKC showed a significant decrease in DHT (P = 0.007 and P = 0.028, resp.) and SHBG (P = 0.01 and P = 0.002, resp.) when compared to controls and serum levels of SHBG were increased in late pubertal VKC in remission phase (P = 0.007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VKC patients have different circulating sex hormone levels in different phases of the disease and when compared to nonallergic subjects. These findings suggest a role played by sex hormones in the pathogenesis and/or activity of VKC.
authors.affiliation: Cornea and Ocular Surface Disease Unit, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sacchetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Organi di Senso, Sapienza University, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lambiase
authors.affiliation: Unit of Endocrinology, Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Isola Tiberina, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00187 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Costanzo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.affiliation: IRCCS GB Bietti Eye Foundation, Via Livenza 3, 00198 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3459-4866
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mantelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Università Campus Bio-Medico, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty / Q000097:blood; D012741:Sexual Maturation
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D004967:Estrogens; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones