Estrogen and Testosterone Therapies in Multiple Sclerosisby Stefan M Gold and Rhonda R Voskuhl
2009
downloaded from the internet by MadelineB on 8/13/2012http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2724009/?tool=pubmedOriginally published as
Prog Brain Res. 2009; 175: 239–251.
It has been known for decades that females are more susceptible to inflammatory autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis. In addition, female patients with these diseases experience clinical improvements during pregnancy with a temporary 'rebound' exacerbation post partum. These clinical observations suggest an effect of sex hormones on disease suggest potential use of the male hormone testosterone and the pregnancy hormone estriol, respectively, for treatment of MS....
Thus it appears that MS has both an inflammatory and a neurodegenerative component in its pathogenesis....
Interestingly, a later onset of disease in male patients compared to female patients coincides with a decline in bioavailable testosterone in men....
Thus, there is clear evidence that pregnancy has a potent short-term effect on inflammation and relapse rate but data regarding long term effects on disability are inconclusive....
We now also have first clinical evidence for the effectiveness of testosterone and estriol in MS from two completed pilot studies. As a result, a phase II trial is underway for oral estriol treatment in female patients with RRMS. Both testosterone and estriol have a favorable safety profile in men and women, respectively.