The role of sex and calcium-regulating hormones imbalance in females with osteoarthrosis deformans

Aim. Determination of essential changes in hormonal background in evaluatio n of sex and calcium-regulating hormones levels in women of different age w ith osteoarthrosis deformans (OAD). Materials and methods. 30-34-year-old and 45-60-year-old females (60 premen opausal and 51 menopausal) with x-ray confirmed OAD and 34 control healthy women (23 premenopausal and 11 in menopause) were examined with radioimmuno assay for the baseline serum levels of calcitonin, parathyrine, osteocalcin , estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DH AS). Results. Both age-groups patients had abnormal levels of testosterone and i ts metabolite DHAS. Significant deviations were found in menopausal women. With age, both patients and healthy women exhibited increasing levels of pa rathyrine and calcitonine. Compared to controls, OAD women had lower parath yrine, osteocalcine and higher calcitonine levels. With OAD progression, se rum osteocalcin tended to lowering while testosterone was on the increase. Conclusion, Changes in blood levels of calcium-regulating hormones observed in osteoarthrosis may result in stimulation of cartilage degeneration. Cal citonine was low in premenopausal and menopausal OAD patients indicating im pairment of bone metabolism in osteoarthrosis.