Effect of Hydrocortisone and Prednisone on the Excretion of Uropepsin in Rheumatic Subjects

Abstract

SummaryThe effect of hydrocortisone and prednisone on the excretion of uropepsin has been studied in rheumatic patients.It was possible to determine that 40 mg. of hydrocortisone and correspondingly 10 mg. of prednisone daily in short-term administration in no way increased the uropepsin excretion. Only when 80 mg. of hydrocortisone and 20 mg. of prednisone were used was there a clear increase in the uropepsin excretion.The method of investigation employed did not show any sure difference between the gastric stimulation caused by hydrocortisone and that caused by prednisone when the hydrocortisone dose was four times greater than the prednisone dose.The customary small hormone doses used in the prolonged steroid treatment seemed to increase the uropepsin excretion only in a minority of the cases. There was a positive correlation between the increased uropepsin values and the stomach complaints.