Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose:Gender may influence the incidence and outcome of vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC), an allergic disease of young boys. We evaluated changes of circulating hormones in patients with VKC. Methods:Blood samples of twenty-six male patients with VKC were collected for FSH, LH, estrone, ß-oestradiol, total testosterone, free testosterone, Dhydrotestosterone (DHT), sex hormones binding globulin (SHBG), Dehydroepandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), a4androstenedione, Dehydroepandrosterone (DHEA), 3a-androstenediol, and cortisol serum levels. Patients were divided in three groups according to their age (13 pre-puberty age=7.1±1.9 ys.; 8 at puberty age=11.2±1.0ys.; and 5 post-puberty 15.6±0.9ys.). The results obtained for each hormone were compared to the standard normal values. Results:Pre-puberty patients showed an increase of circulating SHBG (89.9%), while total testosterone (92.3%,), free testosterone (84.6%), LH (33%,) and DEAS (23.1%.) were lower than standard values. Patients at puberty showed an increase of SHBG (25%), while total testosterone (75%), free testosterone (71.4%), LH (40%), and DEAS (50%) were lower than standard values. Post-puberty patients showed an increase of SHBG (60%), while total testosterone (40%), free testosterone (40%), LH (25%), and DEAS (100%) were lower than standard values. For the other evaluated hormones only the ß-oestradiol was decreased in the 40% of pre-puberty patients and in the 60% of the onset-puberty patients. Conclusion:Our study suggests the presence of an impairment of the androgen-related pathway in VKC. The decrease of circulating total and free testosterone associated with the increase of SHBG, suggests that an abnormality of androgens serum levels may influence the development and course of the disease.
Keywords: 366 conjunctivitis • 355 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: risk factor assessment