SERUM DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE SULPHATE (DHEAS) IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, THEIR POSSIBLE ROLE ON DISEASE ACTIVITY AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS

Abstract

The present study included 55 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (51 female and 4 male), their age ranged from 17- 60 years old with mean ± SO of 39.5 ± 11.5 years and 20 normal subjects (17 female and. 3 male) with mean age± SO of 36.9 ± 5.2 years as control.

AJI the patients were diagnosed according to American rheumatism association revised criteria. The patients were divided according to the duration of illness and previous drug taking into three groups : 1- Group (1) which included 22 patients with chronic rheumatoid arthritis who are already on corticosteroid therapy with mean duration of illness± SO= 96.67 ± 32.55 months. 2- Group (2) which included 15 patients with rheumatoid arthritis on treatment other than steroid therapy (Methotrexate) with mean duration of illness± SO= 86.25 ± 48.06 months. 3- Group (3) which included 18 patients recently diagnosed active rheumatoid arthritis who are on non-steroidal anti­ inflamatory drug and have never recieved corticosteroids before with mean duration of illness ± SO= 27.50 ± II.71 months. 20 healthy, sex and educationally matched subjects have been included as control group.