Evaluation of Sex Hormone Levels in Patients with Pemphigus Vulgaris in Comparison to the Healthy Population

Abstract

Background and Aim. The onset of autoimmune diseases is associated with the levels of sex hormones. Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune disease with a higher prevalence in postmenopausal women. The present study is aimed at evaluating the sex hormones’ levels in patients with pemphigus vulgaris in comparison to healthy controls. Materials and Methods. This cross-sectional study was performed on patients with pemphigus vulgaris referred to Faghihi Hospital and Shiraz Dental Faculty in 2017-2018. The participants included 26 women with histopathologically confirmed pemphigus vulgaris and 26 healthy age-matched controls. The serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, prolactin, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) were evaluated in both groups. Independent $t$ -test and two-way ANOVA were used for data analysis. Results. The mean age of the patients was $49.88\pm 10.46$ years and that of the control group was $49.92\pm 11.30$ years. Unlike the case group, the DHEA serum level was significantly higher among nonmenopausal participants in the control group. Moreover, the levels of testosterone and DHEA were significantly lower in the case group in comparison to the control group ( $p=0.015$ and $p=0.026$ , respectively). Conclusion. Considering the effects of age and menopause, the serum levels of testosterone and DHEA were significantly lower in the patients with pemphigus vulgaris than in the healthy controls. Hence, these hormones might have a role in the pathogenesis of pemphigus vulgaris.