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Author's Response: Effect of Estrogen Versus Testosterone on Circulating Osteoprotegerin and Other Cytokine Levels in Normal Elderly Men

Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition Mayo Clinic and Foundation Rochester, Minnesota 55905

Address correspondence to: Sundeep Khosla, M.D., Mayo Clinic, Endocrine Research Unit, 200 First Street SW, 5-194 Joseph, Rochester, Minnesota 55905. E-mail: . Khosla.Sundeep{at}Mayo.edu

To the editor:

We thank Dr. Hofbauer and colleagues for their kind words regarding our study. We agree that because DHEA can be converted to both androgenic and estrogenic steroids, a lack of effect of DHEA administration on serum osteoprotegerin levels is consistent with our data indicating opposite effects of estrogen and testosterone on circulating osteoprotegerin levels. However, the alternate explanation for these findings is that DHEA, which did not have any significant effects on bone turnover markers or other endpoints in the subjects evaluated (1), may simply not be having any measurable biological actions. Although we would prefer the first explanation (because it supports our findings), clearly the latter cannot be excluded.

Received April 18, 2002.

References

1. Arlt W, Callies F, Koehler I, van Vlijmen JC, Fassnacht M, Strasburger CJ, Seibel MJ, Huebler D, Ernst M, Oettel M, Reincke M, Schulte HM, Allolio B 2001 Dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation in healthy men with an age-related decline of dehydroepiandrosterone secretion. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 86:4686–4692[Abstract/Free Full Text]

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