Keywords
leptin
insulin
estrogen
growth hormone
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How to Cite
Abstract
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is increasingly recognized as a systemic disease with important metabolic and endocrine features. However, the combined pattern of serum metabolic hormones in women with RA remains insufficiently characterized. Objective: The study aimed to compare serum levels of leptin, estrogen, insulin, cortisol, growth hormone (GH), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in RA women with healthy controls and to examine their associations with selected clinical and metabolic characteristics. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Basrah Governorate, Iraq, between October and December 2022. The final analysis included 43 women: 23 patients with RA and 20 apparently healthy controls. Demographic and clinical data were collected, including age, body mass index (BMI), rheumatoid factor (RF) status, disease activity, disease duration, medication use, glucocorticoid use, menopausal status, and family history. Serum hormone levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Data were analyzed according to distribution. Between-group comparisons were performed using the independent-samples t-test or Mann–Whitney U test. Exploratory correlation and adjusted regression analyses were performed within the RA group. Results: RA patients had significantly higher serum cortisol [84.76 (66.10–98.29) vs. 22.80 (16.98–31.79) ng/mL, p < 0.001], insulin [15.54 (10.68–18.54) vs. 3.54 (2.09–4.65) mU/L, p < 0.001], and leptin (724.45 ± 149.79 vs. 243.98 ± 113.60 pg/mL, p < 0.001) levels compared with controls. Estrogen and TSH did not differ significantly between the groups. Within the RA group, exploratory adjusted analysis showed an association between RF status and log10 insulin after adjustment for age, glucocorticoid use, and BMI (β = −0.045, 95% CI −0.081 to −0.008, p = 0.022). Conclusion: Women with RA showed an altered serum metabolic hormone profile, mainly characterized by higher leptin, insulin, and cortisol and lower GH. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dalal Al-Akabi (Author)