Table 3.

Neuroendocrine function in patients with systemic inflammatory rheumatic diseases

Parameter	Studies & patients (N)	Baseline patient vs. control		Stress reactivity within patients		Stress reactivity patients vs. controls
ACTH	[38] 29 RA vs. 30 HC	RA:	No difference [34,38,41]	RA:	Increase [34,41]	RA:	No difference [34,38,41]
	[34] 19 RA vs. 14 HC				Not reported [38]
	[41] 21 RA vs. 20 HC
Cortisol	[30] 21 RA vs. 20 HC	RA:	No difference [34,35,39,41,42]	RA:	Decrease [34,35,42]	RA:	No difference [30,34,39,41,42]
	[38] 29 RA vs. 30 HC		Altered (↑) [30,38]		Change [30]		Altered (↓) [35,38]
	[39] 19 RA vs. 21 HC		No difference [35]		Increase [39,41]		No difference [44]
	[34] 19 RA vs. 14 HC	SLE:	Altered (↓) [44]	SLE:	Decrease [35]	SLE:	Altered (↓) [35]
	[41] 21 RA vs. 20 HC				No response [44]
	[42] 18 RA vs. 14 HC
	[35] 7 RA, 6 SLE vs. 10 HC
	[44] 14 SLE vs. 14 HC, 10 HC
Growth hormone (GH)	[34] 19 RA vs. 14 HC	RA:	No difference	RA:	Increase	RA:	No difference
Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I)	[34] 19 RA vs. 14 HC	RA:	No difference	RA:	No response	RA:	No difference
Prolactin	[35] 7 RA, 6 SLE vs. 10 HC	RA:	No difference	RA:	No response	RA:	Altered (↓)
		SLE:	No difference	SLE:	No response	SLE:	Altered (↓)

↑ = altered response pattern is more pronounced compared to a control group; ↓ = altered response pattern is diminished compared to a control group;

RA = rheumatoid arthritis, SLE = systemic lupus erythematosus, HC = healthy controls, ACTH = adrenocorticotropin hormone,