Development of glucocorticoid (GC)-induced adrenal insufficiency is a serious adverse effect of GC treatment. It is today not possible to predict this adverse effect. The project aims at investigating a possible individual aspect, which may render subjects more or less sensitive to glucocorticoids, and thereby influence development of GC induced adrenal insufficiency. The hypothesis is that subjects with one or another of the polymorphisms in the GC receptor gene will either have increased or diminished GC sensitivity. This may be responsible for differences in development of GC induced adrenal insufficiency.
Name: Synacthen test
Description: test for adrenal function by stimulation test (Synacthen test)
Measure: adrenal insufficiency Time: upon first visit within average 1 monthDescription: test by questionnaires
Measure: quality of life Time: upon inclusion (baseline)Description: DXA and bone markers
Measure: Bone Density status Time: results from latest DXA scan performed in routine settings, bonemarkers upon inclusion (baseline)Description: BMI, waist-, hip- circumferencia
Measure: body composition Time: upon inclusion (baselline)Description: blood lipids, abdominal obesity, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose
Measure: metabolic syndrome Time: upon inclusion (baseline)Case-Control
There is one SNP
Patients with or without these polymorphisms were invited to a Synacthen® test, but patients with a mixed hetero- and homozygote genotype were not Exclusion Criteria: - Other major organ disease - Females pregnant - Females not willing to pause estrogen-containing medications 6 weeks prior to Synacthen® test - unable to give a written informed content Rheumatoid Arthritis Arthritis Arthritis, Rheumatoid Adrenal Insufficiency Blood is sampled from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), fulfilling the inclusion criteria and patients are genotyped for the SNPs N363S, BclI, ER22/23EK and 9β and grouped according to haplotypes. --- N363S ---