Dehydroepiandrosterone, ageing and immune activation

The age-related decline in dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) production is curr ently attracting attention because of its possible relevance to the etiolog y and management of a number of age-related clinical disorders. Various abn ormalities of immune system function have been described in the elderly, Am ong them, increased concentrations of neopterin have been reported, which i s produced by human monocytes/macrophages upon stimulation by interferon-ga mma. In order to examine the relation of serum DHEA to serum neopterin, we studied 281 otherwise healthy outpatients, who visited the physician's offi ce for a medical health check-up. 10% presented with increased neopterin co ncentrations, 0.4% had increased DHEA sulfate (DHEAs) concentrations. DHEAs concentrations were significantly higher in patients with lower neopterin concentrations (Mann-Whitney test: U = 4793, P < 0.0001). There existed a r ather strong inverse correlation between DHEAs concentrations and serum neo pterin concentrations (Spearman's rank correlation: r(s) = -0.221, P < 0.00 01). The data support the concept that the decrease of DHEA with increasing age is related to immune system activation. Oxidative stress which accompa nies immune response may diminish DHEA synthesis. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.