Hormone levels in all cases and controls, stratified by RF status in the case at diagnosis or later, and by median time from inclusion to RA diagnosis
| All | <12.7 years from diagnosis | >12.7 years from diagnosis | RF-positive cases | RF-negative cases | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hormone | Cases* | Controls* | Cases (N=55) | Controls (N=89) | Cases (N=49) | Controls (N=83) | Cases (N=61) | Controls (N=103) | Cases (N=22) | Controls (N=39) |
| Testosterone (nmol/l) | 21.5 (6.05) | 21.6 (7.46) | 22.1 (6.43) | 22.0 (7.99) | 20.8 (5.58) | 21.3 (6.90) | 21. 9 (6.23) | 21.7 (7.77) | 19.4 (5.08) | 21.6 (7.29) |
| Free testosterone (nmol/l) | 0.42 (0.09) | 0.42 (0.12) | 0.43 (0.10) | 0.43 (0.12) | 0.41 (0.09) | 0.42 (0.11) | 0.42 (0.09) | 0.42 (0.12) | 0.40 (0.08) | 0.44 (0.12) |
| LH (IU/l) | 5.31 (2.78) | 5.44 (2.61) | 5.57 (3.37) | 5.26 (2.65) | 5.00 (1.85) | 5.66 (2.58) | 5.11 (2.22) | 5.27 (2.72) | 5.40 (1.83) | 5.73 (2.73) |
| FSH (IU/l) | 5.95 (4.70) | 6.79 (5.69) | 6.59 (5.98) | 7.23 (6.62) | 5.21 (2.40) | 6.42 (4.54) | 5.61 (2.22) | 7.03 (6.29) | 6.49 (3.69) | 6.00 (4.27) |
| SHBG (nmol/l) | 36.08 (14.6) | 35.05 (15.4) | 36.6 (15.8) | 35.9 (16.5) | 35.5 (13.3) | 34.5 (14.3) | 37.9 (14.2) | 36.4 (15.8) | 30.8 (14.5) | 33.1 (12.9) |
Values are mean (SD).
*From analyses of testosterone, results were available from 104 cases and 174 controls; for FSH 101 cases and 169 controls; for LH 102 cases and 167 controls; for SHBG 104 cases and 173 controls; for free testosterone 104 cases and 173 controls.
FSH, follicle-stimulating hormone; LH, luteinising hormone; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; RF, rheumatoid factor; SHBG, sex hormone-binding globulin.