BONE-MINERAL DENSITY AND HORMONAL STATUS IN MEN WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

A loss in bone mass was reported in premenopausal systemic lupus eryth ematosus (SLE) women, but this problem has not been studied in SLE mal es. We evaluated bone mineral density (BMD) in SLE males and the relat ionship between prolactin (PRL) and testosterone with BMD. We also stu died the controversial effect of steroid therapy on BMD in these patie nts. We measured BMD in the lumbar spine and at the hip in 20 SLE men (mean age 37 y) and in the controls (n = 40). We measured PRL and test osterone in serum and saliva. The mean dose of prednisone at the time of study was 11.6 mg; and cumulative dose was 17.6 g. No significative decrease in BMD was detected in SLE males vs controls; either in the lumbar spine (1.00 +/- 0.1 vs 1.05 +/- 0.1 g/cm(2)) or in the femoral neck (0.84+/-0.1 vs 0.87+/-0.1 g/cm(2)). No patient or control had ost eoporosis or fractures. We did not find any relationship between BMD a nd cumulative dose and baseline dose of corticosteroids. The mean valu es of PRL and testosterone (serum and salivary) were in the normal ran ge. We did not find any correlation between BMD, PRL and androgens. Th is study did not show a loss in bone mass in SLE men on corticosteroid therapy.