Table 4

Spearman rank correlations of changes in laboratory results from baseline to 24 months in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis who were given HRT

Test

TNF-α

IL-1Ra

IL-6

sIL-6R

IGF-1

ESR

Estradiol

BMD total hip

BMD lumbar spine

Serum TNF-α (pg/ml)

–

0.303**

0.108

0.245*

-0.258*

0.310**

-0.263*

0.169

-0.132

Serum IL-1Ra (pg/ml)

0.303**

–

0.313**

0.050

-0.222

0.122

0.012

0.075

-0.126

Serum IL-6 (pg/ml)

0.108

0.313**

–

0.041

-0.061

0.421***

0.188

0.081

0.078

Serum sIL-6R (pg/ml)

0.245*

0.050

0.041

–

-0.137

0.119

-0.263*

-0.132

-0.278*

Serum IGF-1 (ng/ml)

-0.258*

-0.222

-0.061

-0.137

–

-0.250*

0.179

0.200

0.195

ESR (mm)

0.310**

0.122

0.421***

0.119

-0.250*

–

-0.079

-0.092

-0.145

Serum estradiol (pmol/l)

-0.263*

0.012

0.188

-0.263*

0.179

-0.079

–

0.491***

0.483***

*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001. BMD = bone mineral density; ESR = erythrocyte sedimentation rate; IGF-1 = insulin-like growth factor 1; IL-1Ra = IL-1-receptor antagonist; sIL-6R = soluble IL-6 receptor; TNF-α = tumor necrosis factor α.

d'Elia et al. Arthritis Res Ther 2003 5:R202   doi:10.1186/ar761