Anterior-pituitary adrenal function of gold-treated patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

The hypothesis that gold therapy enhances endogenous cortisol secretion was tested in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis patients. The secretion of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) and several peptide hormones was determined from plasma samples collected every 20 min for 24 hours. In random patients cortisol secretion was significantly greater in gold treated patients than in similar patients not receiving gold. However, when untreated patients were restudied after initiation of gold therapy, there was no significant change in cortisol secretion. Gold therapy also did not significantly alter secretion of the peptide hormones or DHEA-S. Thus, gold does not appear to influence endogenous hormone secretion.