This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a related Letter to the Editor Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Maggio, M. Articles by Ferrucci, L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Maggio, M. Articles by Ferrucci, L. Related Collections Male Endocrinology

Estradiol and Inflammatory Markers in Older Men

Department of Internal Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (M.M., G.P.C., A.A., E.G., G.V.), Section of Geriatrics, University Hospital of Parma, 43100 Parma, Italy; Geriatric Unit (F.L.), Geriatric Rehabilitation Department, University Hospital of Parma, 43100 Parma, Italy; Geriatric Rehabilitation (S.Ban.), Azienda Sanitaria di Firenze, 50122 Florence, Italy; Longitudinal Studies Section (E.J.M., C.R., S.M.L., S.Bas., L.F.), Clinical Research Branch, National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Baltimore, Maryland 20892; Laboratory of Epidemiology, Demography, and Biometry (J.M.G.), National Institute on Aging, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892; and Department of Medicine (S.Bas.), Division of Endocrinology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland 21224

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Luigi Ferrucci, M.D., Ph.D., National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, NIA-ASTRA Unit at Harbor Hospital, 3001 South Hanover Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21225. E-mail: ferruccilu{at}grc.nia.nih.gov; or Marcello Maggio, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Internal Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Section of Geriatrics, via Gramsci 14, 43100 Parma, Italy. E-mail: marcellomaggio2001{at}yahoo.it.

Background: Aging is characterized by a mild proinflammatory state. In older men, low testosterone levels have been associated with increasing levels of proinflammatory cytokines. It is still unclear whether estradiol (E2), which generally has biological activities complementary to testosterone, affects inflammation.

Methods: We analyzed data obtained from 399 men aged 65–95 yr enrolled in the Invecchiare in Chianti study with complete data on body mass index (BMI), serum E2, testosterone, IL-6, soluble IL-6 receptor, TNF-, IL-1 receptor antagonist, and C-reactive protein. The relationship between E2 and inflammatory markers was examined using multivariate linear models adjusted for age, BMI, smoking, physical activity, chronic disease, and total testosterone.

Results: In age-adjusted analysis, log (E2) was positively associated with log (IL-6) (r = 0.19; P = 0.047), and the relationship was statistically significant (P = 0.032) after adjustments for age, BMI, smoking, physical activity, chronic disease, and serum testosterone levels. Log (E2) was not significantly associated with log (C-reactive protein), log (soluble IL-6 receptor), or log (TNF-) in both age-adjusted and fully adjusted analyses.

Conclusions: In older men, E2 is weakly positively associated with IL-6, independent of testosterone and other confounders including BMI.