Androgens in rheumatoid arthritis: when are they effectors?

Androgens in rheumatoid arthritis: when are they effectors?

Neither hormone receptor genes nor plasma androgens seem significantly altered in female subjects before they became affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and, therefore, do not seem to play a role as risk factors for its development. However, serum testosterone levels are inversely correlated with RA activity and dehydro-epiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) plasma levels are inversely correlated wi...

Androgens in active rheumatoid arthritis

Neither hormone receptor genes nor plasma androgens seem significantly altered in female subjects before they became affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and, therefore, do not seem to play a role as risk factors for its development. However, serum testosterone levels are inversely correlated with RA activity and dehydro-epiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) plasma levels are inversely correlated wi...

Rheumatoid arthritis, the contraceptive pill, and androgens.

Evidence is accumulating that low androgen concentrations are a cause of rheumatoid arthritis. This would explain a number of established features of the epidemiology of the disease. These include: (a) the variation of disease activity with pregnancy; (b) the variation of age at onset by sex; (c) the variation by sex with HLA-B15; (d) the association with bone mineral density; and (e) the diffe...

Animal models of rheumatoid arthritis: How informative are they?

Animal models of arthritis are widely used to de-convolute disease pathways and to identify novel drug targets and therapeutic approaches. However, the high attrition rates of drugs in Phase II/III rates means that a relatively small number of drugs reach the market, despite showing efficacy in pre-clinical models. There is also increasing awareness of the ethical issues surrounding the use of ...

Kinase inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis: where have they been and where are they going?