[The status of the pituitary-gonadal system and immunologic parameters in patients with rheumatoid arthritis]

Male and female patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis demonstrated disorders in the pituitary-gonadal system, which manifested in the body estrogenization in the presence of androgenic deficiency. The correlations between the levels of estradiol, testosterone and the parameters of the cellular and humoral immunity were analyzed. The authors discuss the problem of the participation of the disorders in the pituitary-gonadal system in the development of an autoimmune process underlying rheumatoid arthritis.