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Corticosteroids increased testosterone deficiency in patients with lupus
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Patients with lupus who used corticosteroids had higher levels of luteinizing hormone and more frequent bioactive testosterone deficiency compared with the general population, according to recently published data.
Laurent Arnaud, MD, PhD, in the Department of Rheumatology at the University of Strasbourg in France, and colleagues measured sex hormone levels from fasting blood samples in male patients with lupus (n = 71) and systematic sclerosis (n = 29) and compared those with matched controls from the general population. In addition, they used cluster analysis to identify hormone profiles.
Researchers found patients with lupus had higher levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and more frequent bioactive testosterone deficiency compared with the general population and prednisolone dose was inversely correlated with bioactive testosterone levels (r = –0.36). In the cluster analysis, there was a subset of patients with lupus who had increased levels of follicle stimulating hormone, LH and prolactin as well as lower levels of bioactive testosterone. In patients with systemic sclerosis, testosterone levels and bioactive testosterone were significantly lower compared with the general population. Cyclophosphamide use in the previous year was associated with lower bioactive testosterone levels in both patients with lupus and in patients with systemic sclerosis, after age adjustment.
“Physicians should be more aware of the possibility of hypogonadism in male patients with autoimmune diseases,” the researchers wrote. – by Will Offit
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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