Abstract
AIMS: To determine whether patients with idiopathic retinal vasculitis have altered production of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S), and whether differences in these variables occur between those who are sensitive (SS) and resistant (SR) to steroids.
METHODS: 20 patients with retinal vasculitis (off treatment) and 10 control subjects were prospectively recruited. Morning cortisol and DHEA-S levels were measured, and cortisol secretion rates and short synacthen tests (SST) carried out in patients before treatment, when on prednisolone 20 mg/day, and in controls.
RESULTS: There were no differences in any variables between patients and controls. For retinal vasculitis patients pretreatment, the SST was lower in SR patients (p=0.02). More of the SR patients had ischaemic retinal vasculitis ( p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Cortisol and DHEA-S are not involved in the pathogenesis of retinal vasculitis. SR in retinal vasculitis may be associated with a defective hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1393-5 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | British Journal of Ophthalmology |
| Volume | 83 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 1999 |
Keywords
- Adult
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents
- Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate
- Drug Resistance
- Female
- Humans
- Hydrocortisone
- Male
- Pituitary-Adrenal System
- Prednisolone
- Prospective Studies
- Retinal Diseases
- Retinal Vessels
- Vasculitis