Inhibition of the Complement Activation by an Adrenal Androgen, Dehydroepiandrosterone

Abstract

The effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DEA), an adrenal androgen successfully used for preventing attacks in hereditary angioneurotic edema (HANE) patients was studied on the activation of classical and alternative complement pathway. The steroid inhibited both the spontaneous and immune activation of the classical complement pathway (CP), the former effect, however, was found to be more marked than the latter one. DEA exerted its inhibiting effect most probably by interfering with the internal activation of C1. Because DEA rendered HANE patients symptom free but induced only a slight increase in their serum C1 - INH level, our present findings suggest that inhibition of CP activation may have a significance in the therapeutic effect of DEA and possibly of other androgens as well.

Dehydroepiandrosterone and multiple measures of functional immunity in young adults

“…One interpretation is that DHEA is acting in a beneficial manner to this measure of immune function, and elevated DHEA‐S reflects decreased conversion to the active form of the hormone. This is contrary to the findings of in vitro experimentation (Hidvégi et al, ), but results may be concentration dependent or influenced by additional factors not measured here.…”

The effect of testosterone replacement treatment on immunological features of patients with Klinefelter's syndrome

“…Nevertheless, we observed similar findings in patients with IHH [29]. It is also of note that dehydroepiandrosterone may inhibit the activation of complement [44].…”

Serum concentration of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate in female patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria

“…It is noteworthy that in some disorders of the immune system, clinical improvement has been observed after oral DHEA administration [4,5,7]. Moreover, DHEA was successfully used to prevent attacks in hereditary angioedema, the therapeutic effect resulted probably from inhibition of the classical complement pathway activation [8]. Taking these results into consideration, we speculate that DHEA-S might have a role in urticarial inflammation.…”