Summary
Simultaneous determinations of free and protein bound plasma cortisol and of the concentrations of cortisol in skin biopsies were performed after treatment with indomethacin. Neither after a single dose nor in patients on continuous treatment, were any consistent changes found in the protein binding of plasma cortisol. However, in patients treated for more than 3 weeks a significantly greater number of skin biopsies were observed with very low concentrations of cortisol. No relation between the free fraction of plasma cortisol and the tissue cortisol could be demonstrated.In vitro experiments showed no alteration of the protein binding of cortisol after the addition of indomethacin to plasma. It is concluded that indomethacin does not have antirheumatic activity because of displacement of the protein bound plasma cortisol as proposed by other workers. However, long term treatment with indomethacin does seem to influence the tissue distribution of cortisol. The possible relationship of this observation is discussed in view of reported fatalities after long continued indomethacin treatment.
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Hvidberg, E., Schou, J. & Jansen, J.A. Influence of indomethacin on the distribution of cortisol in man. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 3, 102–105 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00619302
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00619302